東華大學圖書館 |

A Categorical Perspective on Attitudes: Implications for Perceived Change, Persuasive Targeting, and the Attitude-Behavior Relationship.

Record Type:	Electronic resources : Monograph/item
Title/Author:	A Categorical Perspective on Attitudes: Implications for Perceived Change, Persuasive Targeting, and the Attitude-Behavior Relationship./
Author:	Bechler, Christopher Jeffrey.
Published:	Ann Arbor : ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, : 2021,
Description:	272 p.
Notes:	Source: Dissertations Abstracts International, Volume: 83-05, Section: B.
Contained By:	Dissertations Abstracts International83-05B.
Subject:	Behavior. -
Online resource:	http://pqdd.sinica.edu.tw/twdaoapp/servlet/advanced?query=28688336
ISBN:	9798544204015

A Categorical Perspective on Attitudes: Implications for Perceived Change, Persuasive Targeting, and the Attitude-Behavior Relationship.
Bechler, Christopher Jeffrey.

A Categorical Perspective on Attitudes: Implications for Perceived Change, Persuasive Targeting, and the Attitude-Behavior Relationship. - Ann Arbor : ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2021 - 272 p.

Source: Dissertations Abstracts International, Volume: 83-05, Section: B.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Stanford University, 2021.

This item must not be sold to any third party vendors.

Attitudes and categorical perception are two of the most studied topics in psychology and marketing. Indeed, both areas have been around for decades (at a minimum) and researchers have published hundreds if not thousands of articles on the topics. Surprisingly, though, these two literatures have largely advanced in isolation. This dissertation represents an initial step toward integrating the two. Across four essays, I draw from findings in categorical perception to answer important outstanding questions in the attitudes domain. In Essay 1 (Bechler, Tormala, & Rucker, 2019), I examine the role that categorical perception plays in how people perceive attitude change. Surprisingly, despite the vast research on attitude change and persuasion, as a field we have virtually zero insight into perceived attitude change-that is, how people assess the magnitude of a shift in someone's attitude or opinion. Across six primary experiments and a series of supplemental studies (total N = 2,880), I find consistent support for a qualitative change hypothesis, whereby qualitative attitude change (change of valence, or category; e.g., from negative to positive) is perceived as greater than otherwise equivalent non-qualitative attitude change (change within valence; e.g., from negative to less negative or from positive to more positive). This effect is mediated by ease of processing: Qualitative attitude change is easier for people to detect and understand than non-qualitative attitude change, and this ease amplifies the degree of perceived change. I examine downstream consequences of this effect and discuss theoretical, methodological, and practical implications. Essay 2 (Bechler, Tormala, & Rucker, 2020) builds upon the result from Essay 1. In Essay 2, I examine how perceived attitude change-which is influenced by category boundaries (Essay 1)-affects how individuals choose the targets of their persuasion. Although advocacy is a topic of increasing import in the attitudes literature, researchers know little to nothing about how people (i.e., persuaders) choose their targets (i.e., the recipients of their advocacy). Four main experiments and six supplemental studies (total N = 3,684) demonstrate that people prefer to direct persuasion efforts toward individuals who seem poised to shift their attitudes qualitatively (i.e., categorically; e.g., from negative to positive) rather than non-qualitatively (e.g., from positive to more positive). This preference stems from the fact that qualitative attitude change is perceived as greater in magnitude and expected to have a larger impact on behavior. These findings provide initial insight into the factors that drive persuasion target selection, and are inconsistent with what past persuasion research, conventional marketing wisdom, and my empirical evidence suggests persuaders should do. People tend to select persuasion targets they believe they can change qualitatively, but at least sometimes can have more persuasive impact by targeting individuals who are already leaning in their direction. . In Essay 3 (Bechler & Tormala, 2021), I extend the basic ideas from Essay 2 and apply them to coronavirus-related topics and behaviors, such as wearing a mask/face covering in public. Across three experiments (total N = 1,595), I find that people who strongly support this behavior generally try to persuade others who are slightly against the behavior, in line with the results from Essay 2.

ISBN: 9798544204015Subjects--Topical Terms:

532476
Behavior.

A Categorical Perspective on Attitudes: Implications for Perceived Change, Persuasive Targeting, and the Attitude-Behavior Relationship.
LDR:04644nmm a2200337 4500 001 2344865
005 20220531062201.5
008 241004s2021 ||||||||||||||||| ||eng d
020 $a 9798544204015
035 $a (MiAaPQ)AAI28688336
035 $a (MiAaPQ)STANFORDcj804zg4104
035 $a AAI28688336
040 $a MiAaPQ $c MiAaPQ
100 1 $a Bechler, Christopher Jeffrey. $3 3683690
245 1 0 $a A Categorical Perspective on Attitudes: Implications for Perceived Change, Persuasive Targeting, and the Attitude-Behavior Relationship.
260 1 $a Ann Arbor : $b ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, $c 2021
300 $a 272 p.
500 $a Source: Dissertations Abstracts International, Volume: 83-05, Section: B.
500 $a Advisor: Levav, Jonathan; Tormala, Zakary L; Huang, Szu-chi; Wheeler, S Christian.
502 $a Thesis (Ph.D.)--Stanford University, 2021.
506 $a This item must not be sold to any third party vendors.
520 $a Attitudes and categorical perception are two of the most studied topics in psychology and marketing. Indeed, both areas have been around for decades (at a minimum) and researchers have published hundreds if not thousands of articles on the topics. Surprisingly, though, these two literatures have largely advanced in isolation. This dissertation represents an initial step toward integrating the two. Across four essays, I draw from findings in categorical perception to answer important outstanding questions in the attitudes domain. In Essay 1 (Bechler, Tormala, & Rucker, 2019), I examine the role that categorical perception plays in how people perceive attitude change. Surprisingly, despite the vast research on attitude change and persuasion, as a field we have virtually zero insight into perceived attitude change-that is, how people assess the magnitude of a shift in someone's attitude or opinion. Across six primary experiments and a series of supplemental studies (total N = 2,880), I find consistent support for a qualitative change hypothesis, whereby qualitative attitude change (change of valence, or category; e.g., from negative to positive) is perceived as greater than otherwise equivalent non-qualitative attitude change (change within valence; e.g., from negative to less negative or from positive to more positive). This effect is mediated by ease of processing: Qualitative attitude change is easier for people to detect and understand than non-qualitative attitude change, and this ease amplifies the degree of perceived change. I examine downstream consequences of this effect and discuss theoretical, methodological, and practical implications. Essay 2 (Bechler, Tormala, & Rucker, 2020) builds upon the result from Essay 1. In Essay 2, I examine how perceived attitude change-which is influenced by category boundaries (Essay 1)-affects how individuals choose the targets of their persuasion. Although advocacy is a topic of increasing import in the attitudes literature, researchers know little to nothing about how people (i.e., persuaders) choose their targets (i.e., the recipients of their advocacy). Four main experiments and six supplemental studies (total N = 3,684) demonstrate that people prefer to direct persuasion efforts toward individuals who seem poised to shift their attitudes qualitatively (i.e., categorically; e.g., from negative to positive) rather than non-qualitatively (e.g., from positive to more positive). This preference stems from the fact that qualitative attitude change is perceived as greater in magnitude and expected to have a larger impact on behavior. These findings provide initial insight into the factors that drive persuasion target selection, and are inconsistent with what past persuasion research, conventional marketing wisdom, and my empirical evidence suggests persuaders should do. People tend to select persuasion targets they believe they can change qualitatively, but at least sometimes can have more persuasive impact by targeting individuals who are already leaning in their direction. . In Essay 3 (Bechler & Tormala, 2021), I extend the basic ideas from Essay 2 and apply them to coronavirus-related topics and behaviors, such as wearing a mask/face covering in public. Across three experiments (total N = 1,595), I find that people who strongly support this behavior generally try to persuade others who are slightly against the behavior, in line with the results from Essay 2.
590 $a School code: 0212.
650 4 $a Behavior. $3 532476
650 4 $a Vaccines. $3 684854
650 4 $a Perceptions. $3 3435328
650 4 $a Color. $3 533870
650 4 $a Illustrations. $3 3683691
650 4 $a Negative campaigning. $3 3683692
650 4 $a Attitudes. $3 1973410
650 4 $a Social psychology. $3 520219
650 4 $a Variance analysis. $3 3544969
650 4 $a Psychology. $3 519075
650 4 $a Sociology. $3 516174
650 4 $a Finance. $3 542899
690 $a 0451
690 $a 0621
690 $a 0626
690 $a 0508
710 2 $a Stanford University. $3 754827
773 0 $t Dissertations Abstracts International $g 83-05B.
790 $a 0212
791 $a Ph.D.
792 $a 2021
793 $a English
856 4 0 $u http://pqdd.sinica.edu.tw/twdaoapp/servlet/advanced?query=28688336