94 Ss were exposed to various combinations of fear-arousing and neutral communications concerning the effects of smoking. Measures of anxiety and self-esteem were taken on all Ss with the IPAT Self-analysis Form and the Janis and Field Personality Questionnaire, respectively. Ss were then formed into high and low anxiety and self-esteem groups. Of 24 predicted directions of opinion change, 23 were realized although only 11 were statistically significant. These results were predicted from a fear-reduction interpretation of personality as affecting the susceptibility to persuasion in the situation where opposed communications on the same topic are utilized.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BerkowitzL.CottinghamD. R.The interest value and relevance of fear-arousing communications. J. abnorm. soc. Psychol., 1960, 60, 37–43.
2.
CattellR. B.IPAT Self-Analysis Form. Champaign, Ill.: Institute for Personality & Ability Testing, 1963.
3.
HovlandC. I. (Ed.) The order of presentation in persuasion. New Haven: Yale Univer. Press, 1957.
4.
JanisI. L.Anxiety indices related to susceptibility to persuasion. J. abnorm. soc. Psychol., 1955, 51, 663–667.
5.
JanisI. L.FeshbachS.Effects of fear-arousing communication. J. abnorm. soc. Psychol., 1953, 48, 78–92.
6.
JanisI. L.FeshbachS.Personality differences associated with responsiveness to fear arousing communications. J. Pers., 1954, 23, 154–166.
7.
JanisI. L.FieldP. B.A behavioral assessment of persuasibility: consistency of individual differences. In HovlandC. I.JanisI. L. (Eds.), Personality and persuasibility. New Haven: Yale Univer. Press, 1959. Ch. 2.
8.
LeventhalH.PerloeS. I.A relationship between self-esteem and persuasibility. J. abnorm. soc. Psychol., 1962, 64, 385–388.
