The Effects of Expected and Perceived Receiver Response on Source Attitudes

In a 2 × 2 experimental design, communication sources were given an expectation of the response (positive or negative) they might receive from a group of listeners. As they delivered persuasive messages, they were administered positive or negative nonverbal response by a trained audience. The sources’ attitudes toward their own performances and toward the receivers were measured. As predicted, sources who expected positive response but received negative response apparently restored balance by devaluing their performances, while sources who expected negative response but received positive response apparently restored balance by evaluating the receivers favorably. Cognitive balance theory was generally successful in predicting attitudes of communication sources in a setting where receiver response was manipulated.