Resistance strategies and attitude certainty in persuasion: bolstering vs. counterarguing.

Introduction: Although resistance to persuasion has been of interest in psychology, relatively little research has examined how different resistance strategies can affect the strength-related features of attitudes. The current research presents a metacognitive account of two resistance strategies and their effect on attitude certainty and intentions. Specifically, we examine how the strategies of counterarguing and bolstering can differentially affect attitude certainty and intentions to act on the attitude under attack.

Values and attitude certainty: The case for attitude clarity and correctness.

Three studies examined how the perception that one's attitudes are based in values affects attitude clarity and correctness. Specifically, perceiving that one's attitude is based in important values increases attitude clarity (the subjective sense that one knows one's attitude) but not attitude correctness (the subjective sense that the attitude is correct). To test this, participants read a counterattitudinal message and were given feedback about the basis of their attitude.

Think Unique: Perceptions of Uniqueness Increases Resistance to Persuasion and Attitude-Intention Relations.

The present research examines whether the perceived uniqueness of one's thoughts and salience of uniqueness motivations can influence attitude strength and resistance. Participants who rated their thoughts as relatively unique formed attitudes that showed greater correspondence with behavioral intentions to act on the attitude (Study 1). In Study 2, participants who recalled a previous purchase motivated by the desire to be unique (versus to fit in) after generating message counterarguments were less persuaded (more resistant) and reported greater willingness to act on their (negative) attitude.

The Interplay Between Absolute Language and Moral Reasoning on Endorsement of Moral Foundations.

Morality - the subjective sense that humans discern between right and wrong - plays a ubiquitous role in everyday life. Deontological reasoning conceptualizes moral decision-making as rigid, such that many moral choices are forbidden or required. Not surprisingly, the language used in measures of deontological reasoning tends to be rigid, including phrases such as "always" and "never.