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Selective Exposure as a Function of Dogmatism and Incentive
1a University of Adelaide , Australia.
The Journal of Social Psychology
|January 31, 2017
Summary
Individuals with high dogmatism are less likely to read challenging material. However, incentives did not significantly alter this tendency in a study of college students.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Dogmatism, a personality trait characterized by rigid beliefs, influences information processing.
- Understanding how dogmatic individuals engage with belief-incongruent information is crucial for cognitive and social psychology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between dogmatism and the selection of belief-incongruent reading material.
- To examine the effect of potential interview incentives on this selection process.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-six college engineering students completed a belief questionnaire.
- Participants opposed to a liberal studies program selected related articles.
- One group received an incentive (interview) to discuss their opinions.
Main Results:
- High dogmatism scores significantly correlated with a lower likelihood of selecting belief-incongruent material.
- The incentive of a future interview did not significantly influence the choice of discrepant material.
Conclusions:
- Dogmatism is a significant factor in selective exposure to information.
- Incentives may not overcome the inherent tendency of highly dogmatic individuals to avoid challenging viewpoints.
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