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A model of dual attitudes
T D Wilson1, S Lindsey, T Y Schooler
1Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville 22903-2477, USA. tdw@virginia.edu
Psychological Review
|February 25, 2000
Summary
When attitudes change, the old one may not disappear. Instead, dual attitudes form, comprising both implicit and explicit evaluations, impacting how we express our true feelings.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Traditional attitude theories posit that attitude change involves replacement of the old attitude with a new one.
- Implicit and explicit attitudes are distinct constructs that can coexist.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and support the dual-attitude model, suggesting that new attitudes override, rather than replace, old ones.
- To explore the implications of dual attitudes for attitude theory and measurement.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature consistent with the dual-attitude model.
- Conceptual analysis of attitude change and measurement.
Main Results:
- A new attitude can override, but not replace, an existing attitude, leading to dual attitudes (implicit and explicit).
- The endorsed attitude depends on cognitive capacity to access explicit attitudes and their ability to override implicit ones.
- Previous studies may overestimate attitude change ease by relying solely on explicit measures.
Conclusions:
- The dual-attitude model offers a more nuanced understanding of attitude change.
- Implicit attitudes can persist even when explicit attitudes change, challenging existing measurement paradigms.