Cognitive-Affective Inconsistency and Ambivalence

Impact on the Overall Attitude–Behavior Relationship

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21454010
AutoresMycah Conner (0000-0002-6229-8143, University of Leeds, autor de correspondencia), Sarah Wilding (0000-0002-7977-7132, University of Leeds), Frenk Van Harreveld (0000-0003-3717-2773, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands), Jonas Dalege (0000-0002-1844-0528, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
Año2021
Volumen47
Número4
Páginas673-687
Fecha de publicación2021-04-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaPersonality and Social Psychology Bulletin (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0146-1672 • E-ISSN: 1552-7433
EditorialSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0146167220945900
PMID32749192
OpenAlexW3046925031
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas22
Referencias citadas32

This research explored whether overall attitude is a stronger predictor of behavior when underlying cognitive-affective inconsistency or ambivalence is low versus high. Across three prospective studies in different behaviors and populations (Study 1: eating a low-fat diet, N = 136 adults, eating five fruit and vegetables per day, N = 135 adults; Study 2: smoking initiation, N = 4,933 adolescents; and Study 3: physical activity, N = 909 adults) we tested cognitive-affective inconsistency and ambivalence individually and simultaneously as moderators of the overall attitude–behavior relationship. Across studies, more similar effects were observed for inconsistency compared with ambivalence (in both individual and simultaneous analyses). Meta-analysis across studies supported this conclusion with both cognitive-affective inconsistency and ambivalence being significant moderators when considered on their own, but only inconsistency being significant when tested simultaneously. The reported studies highlight the importance of cognitive-affective inconsistency as a determinant of the strength of overall attitude

Affect (linguistics) · Ambivalence · Cognition · Developmental psychology · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Clinical Psychology · Cultural Differences and Values · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology