The role of cognitive schemas in thought-induced attitude change was explored. Subjects role-playing personnel managers rated potential applicants for a salesman (bookkeeper) position and then were either distracted or given opportunity to think about a moderately favorable applicant for that position. As predicted, thought led to more favorable ratings of both salesman and bookkeeper applicants, and written descriptions of "salesman" applicants became more consistent with a salesman schema following thought.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bartlett, F. C.Remembering. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University, 1932.
2.
Bransford, J. D. , & Franks, J. J.Abstraction of linguistic ideas. Cognitive Psychology, 1971, 2, 331-350.
3.
Festinger, L. , & Maccoby, N.On resistance to persuasive communications. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1964.
4.
Fishbein, M.A consideration of beliefs, attitudes, and their relationships. In I. D. Steiner & M. Fishbein (Eds.), Current studies in social psychology. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1965.
5.
Greenwald, A. G.Cognitive learning, cognitive response to persuasion, and attitude change. In A. G. Greenwald, T. C. Broch, and T. M. Ostrom (Eds.), Psychological foundations of attitudes. New York: Academic Press, 1968. Pp. 147-170.
6.
Kelley, H. H.Causal schemata and the attribution process. New York: General Learning Press, 1972.
7.
Posner, M. I. , & Keele, S. W.Retention of abstract ideas. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1970, 83, 304-308.
Rumelhart, D. E. , & Ortony, A.The representation of knowledge in memory. In R. C. Anderson, R. J. Spiro, & W. E. Montague (Eds.), Schooling and the acquisition of knowledge. Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1976.
10.
Sadler, O. , & Tesser, A.Some effects of salience and time upon interpersonal hostility and attraction during social isolation. Sociometry, 1973, 36, 99-112.
11.
Stotland, E. , & Cannon, L. K.Social psychology: A cognitive approach. Philadelphia: Saunders, 1972.
12.
Tesser, A.Thought and reality constraints as determinants of attitude polarization . Journal of Research in Personality, 1976, 10, 183-194.
13.
Tesser, A. , & Conlee, H. C.Some effects of time and thought on attitude polarization, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1975, 31, 262-270,
14.
Tesser, A. , & Cowan, C. L.Some attitudinal and cognitive consequences of thought. Journal of Research in Personality, in press.
15.
Tesser, A. , & Leone, C.Cognitive schemas and thought as determinants of attitude change. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, in press.
