A conformity explanation of forced-compliance phenomena is presented in which incentive magnitude acts as a cue for the undesirability of supporting a counterattitudinal position. According to this interpretation, subjects in the forcedcompliance situation experience uncertainty about their attitude position and reduce it by conforming to the social relaity defined by the incentive. An hypothesis derived from the model, that performance of counterattitudinal behavior is unnecessary for the effect to occur, is tested and confirmed. It is suggested that complex theories of forced-compliance phenomena be evaluated against the more basic (and general) conceptions of social comparison theory.
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