9422030 Although early theories recognized the multi-component nature of attitudes, only in recent investigations has clear empirical evidence been provided that attitudes that originate in feelings are very different from those that originate in thoughts and beliefs. By creating new attitudes in the laboratory, where the affective or cognitive origin of the attitude could be experimentally controlled, past research has revealed that affect-based attitudes, unlike their cognition-based counterparts, are (a) expressed with more confidence and (b) more susceptible to affective than to cognitive means of persuasion (Edwards 1990; Edwards & von Hippel, 1994). Because many of the attitudes that are especially consequential for social behavior have been in existence for some time, the current program of research investigates pre-existing attitudes to elucidate the mechanisms by which affect- and cognition-based attitudes develop and change. The main objectives of the proposed research are to: (1) ascertain whether the effects previously obtained for newly formed attitudes are short-lived or persist; (2) determine whether the confidence and attitude change effects observed in past research on newly formed attitudes reflect differences in the way in which affect-based and cognition-based attitudes are represented in memory; (3) identify the way in which pre-existing affective and cognitive attitudes are represented in memory and ascertain the conditions under which they are most likely to be modified; (4) examine the similarities and differences between newly formed and pre-existing affective and cognitive attitudes by inducing new attitudes and then monitoring their transition to "mature" attitudes over time. Multiple means of inducing and assessing affect and for assessing the dominance of attitudinal components will be employed in order to capture the range of ways in which affect can contribute to the evaluative character of attitudes. Taken together, the results of this resea rch will contribute significantly to our understanding of the multi-component nature of attitudes, the factors that enhance their susceptibility to influence, and the importance of viewing affect as a distinct determinant of attitudes - in both the early and the late stages of their development. Although early social psychological theories recognized that attitudes have multiple components, only in recent investigations has clear empirical evidence been provided that attitudes that originate in feelings (affect-based) are very different from those that originate in thoughts and beliefs (cognition-based). Affect-based attitudes, unlike their cognition-based counterparts, are (a) expressed with more confidence and (b) more susceptible to affective than to cognitive means of persuasion (Edwards (1990; Edwards & von Hippel, 1994). The recent investigations have relied exclusively on the creation of new attitudes in the laboratory where the affective or cognitive origin of the attitude could be experimentally controlled. Since, many of the attitudes that are especially consequential for social behavior have been in existence for some time (e.g., attitudes toward ethnic groups, attitudes toward various social policies), the current research investigates pre-existing attitudes. Evidence from the study of both newly formed and pre-existing attitudes will elucidate the mechanisms by which affect- and cognition-based attitudes develop and change. The results of this research will contribute significantly to our understanding of the multi-component nature of attitudes, the factors that enhance their susceptibility to influence, and the importance of viewing affect as a distinct determinant of attitudes - in both the early and the late stages of their development.
