When dissonance fails: On eliminating evaluation apprehension from attitude measurement

Some propositions concerning evaluation apprehension and affect arousal as systematic, data-biasing contaminants are presented. The earlier finding, in support of dissonance theory, that the degree of reward for counterattitudinal advocacy has an inverse effect upon consequent attitude change is attributed to the operation of these contaminants. An altered replication of 1 major study on counterattitudinal advocacy is reported. By reducing the likelihood that the posited contaminants will be activated it is found that when S writes an essay opposite to his own attitude this changes his attitude in direct proportion to the amount of payment received. Additional data show a generalization of this effect to a related attitude. These data are interpreted as supporting a consistency theory analysis of this type of attitude change and as calling the dissonance theory interpretation into question. (24 ref.)