OPPORTUNITY FOR THOUGHT AND DIFFERENCES IN THE NEED FOR COGNITION - APERSON BY SITUATION ANALYSIS OF SELF-GENERATED ATTITUDE-CHANGE

It was predicted that as the opportunity for thought increased, both t he evaluative consistency of attitude-related beliefs and the intensit y of attitudes (i.e. affect) would increase. These increases were expe cted to be more likely for low than for high need for cognition person s. Participants were classified as either high or low in the need for cognition. They were given either a brief or ample opportunity to thin k about issues toward which they had previously expressed moderately s trong attitudes. The results supported all predictions. Additional ana lyses indicated that attitude change was contingent upon belief change . Alternative explanations (e.g. schema complexity, commitment to init ial positions) for the results were discussed.