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Related Experiment Videos

Social Corroboration and Opinion Extremity

Baron1, Hoppe, Kao

  • 1University of Iowa

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
|November 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary

Social corroboration strengthens attitudes, making opinions more extreme. This effect holds across various topics and populations, influencing even real-world behaviors and decisions.

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Area of Science:

  • Social Psychology
  • Attitude Formation and Change

Background:

  • Social influence significantly impacts individual attitudes.
  • Understanding factors that increase attitude extremity is crucial for social psychology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of social corroboration on attitude extremity.
  • To examine the role of confidence in mediating this relationship.
  • To assess the robustness of corroboration's effect across different contexts.

Main Methods:

  • Four studies were conducted using varied populations (college students, dental patients) and attitudinal targets (attraction, dental comfort, charity donations).
  • Manipulations included social corroboration and contradiction of pre-existing opinions.
  • Measures assessed opinion extremity, confidence, and behavioral outcomes (donations).
  • Path analyses were employed in Study 4 to explore mediation.

Main Results:

  • Social corroboration consistently led to increased attitude extremity across all studies.
  • Contradiction led to decreased extremity.
  • Charity donation amounts and confidence were higher following corroboration.
  • Confidence mediated the relationship between corroboration and extremity, particularly with brief initial exposures.

Conclusions:

  • Social corroboration is a robust predictor of increased attitude extremity.
  • The effect of corroboration on extremity is mediated by increased confidence.
  • Social corroboration can influence behaviors with real-world consequences.

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