The effects of attitude framing on attitude strength: Opposition leads to greater resistance than support

Five studies test whether the way in which a person frames an attitude can impact the resistance of that attitude. The primary hypothesis was that when people frame an attitude negatively (e.g., "I oppose something"), those attitudes will be more resistant than when people frame an attitude positively (e.g., "I support something").; Study 1 was designed to test whether attitudes that were naturally framed negatively were more resistant. Participants reported whether they "supported" or "opposed" various policies. After reporting initial attitudes, participants were presented with a persuasive message, then reported their attitudes a second time. Analyses demonstrated that "opposers" showed more resistance to the persuasive message than did "supporters." Study 1 therefore provided evidence that "opposition" attitudes are more resistant than are "supportive" attitudes.; Studies 2 and 3 were designed to test whether framing alone was sufficient to account for this effect. A framing manipulation forced participants think of their attitudes in terms of support or opposition without any influence on the attitudes themselves. In both studies, regardless of initial attitude, people assigned to think of their attitude in terms of opposition showed more resistance. Thus, merely framing an attitude negatively led to enhanced resistance.; Studies 4 and 5 were designed to find evidence for the mechanism underlying the effect. If negatively framed attitudes are more resistant in general, people may over time recognize the fact that such negative attitudes change little in the face of a persuasive message. If so, when people realize that they are being presented with a persuasive message against a negative attitude, they may process the message less: they may realize that negative attitudes rarely change, so carefully processing the message will be a waste of effort. Study 4 showed that participants indeed believe that negative attitudes are more resistant, while Study 5 provided initial evidence that people process persuasive messages less carefully when they hold initial attitudes of opposition.; These studies collectively argue that the simple manner in which people conceptualize their own attitudes can have a profound effect on the strength of those attitudes.