Metacognitive Reflection as a Moderator of Attitude Strength Versus Attitude Bolstering: Implications for Attitude Similarity and Attraction

Abstract

"Strong" attitudes often have greater impact than "weak" attitudes. However, emerging research suggests that weak (uncertain) attitudes can substantially influence thinking or behavior. We propose metacognitive reflection as a moderator between traditional strength patterns and these emerging attitude bolstering patterns. Across six studies, research participants encountered a target person who agreed or disagreed with participants' attitudes. When focused on evaluating the target, attitudes predicted target evaluations better when the attitude was held with certainty (Study 1A), or after certainty had been primed (Studies 2A and 3; strength effects). However, when engaged in attitudinal social comparison (metacognitive reflection), attitudes better predicted target evaluation when the attitudes were held with doubt (Study 1B), or after doubt had been primed (Studies 2B and 3; bolstering effects). Expected change in certainty served as a mediator of attitude effects in metacognitive reflection but not target-focus conditions when doubt had been primed (Study 4).

Understanding When Similarity-Induced Affective Attraction Predicts Willingness to Affiliate: An Attitude Strength Perspective

“…We also examined whether we replicated previous findings that the antecedents to attitude strength moderated the attitude similarity-affective attraction effect (Montoya and Horton, 2013;Sawicki and Wegener, 2018). Consistent with previous work, we found evidence for an attitude-by-strength-related properties interaction (see Figure 3), r = 0.13, p = 0.01, 95% CI: [0.04, 0.23].…”

“…For example, when attitudes are based on equally high levels of knowledge, similarity with relatively univalent (rather than ambivalent) attitudes better predict liking and desire to talk with an attitudinally similar other (see Wallace et al, 2020). Similarly, when perceivers focus on forming an impression of a target, similarity of attitudes held with confidence vs. doubt better predict affective attraction (Sawicki and Wegener, 2018). A recent meta-analysis found that attitudes more central or important (vs. peripheral or unimportant) to participants' identities produced larger similarity-attraction effect sizes (Montoya and Horton, 2013).…”

Attitude strength: Distinguishing predictors versus defining features

“…consider metacognitive properties of the attitude), they become more attracted to someone with whom they agree if they are relatively uncertain about their own attitude (Sawicki & Wegener, 2018). Although past research had independently shown that features like uncertainty could undermine or increase an attitude's influence, Sawicki and Wegener (2018) identify metacognitive reflection as the key moderator of uncertainty's effects on attitudinal outcomes. This theoretical distinction presents a set of guiding principles to help researchers predict when traditional strength patterns would emerge (i.e.…”

“…However, if certainty reflects an attitude's strength, confidently held attitudes should better guide a person's evaluation of someone else with whom they agree or disagree. Indeed, this is the case when people are merely focused on evaluating a target (Sawicki & Wegener, 2018). However, affiliating with attitudinally similar others can be an alluring opportunity to bolster one's own attitude (e.g.…”

“…Clarkson, Smith, Tormala, & Dugan, 2017), so when people instead reflect on what the other person's opinion would mean for their own (i.e. consider metacognitive properties of the attitude), they become more attracted to someone with whom they agree if they are relatively uncertain about their own attitude (Sawicki & Wegener, 2018). Although past research had independently shown that features like uncertainty could undermine or increase an attitude's influence, Sawicki and Wegener (2018) identify metacognitive reflection as the key moderator of uncertainty's effects on attitudinal outcomes.…”