In debate situations subjects move toward their pre-existing bias¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r1 · q2
Currency · newest study 1953 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? In the debate situation, subjects moved in the direction of their pre-existing bias, confirmed for male subjects but equivocal for female subjects. → Jarrett 1953

Evidence¶

Jarrett 1953¶

Jarrett, R. F., & Sherriffs, A. C. (1953). Propaganda, Debate, and Impartial Presentation as Determiners of Attitude Change. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 48, 33–41. doi:10.1037/h0062882 (read through Allen's 1953 research abstract, doi:10.1007/bf02713265)

q2 · i? · causal · r1

An experiment with 815 University of California students exposed to a debate communication; the authors report movement toward pre-existing bias was "confirmed for the male Ss but remains equivocal for the femaies".

"That in the debate situation, Ss would move in the direction of their pre-exist- ing bias, the mount of this change depending upon the degree of emotional in- volvement in the attitude. The first part of this implication was confirmed for the male Ss but remains equivocal for the femaies"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Male and female subjects responded differently, confounding interpretation — related
• Disguised attitude measures can detect propaganda effects — related
• Impartial presentation of both sides moderates attitudinal position — related
• An experiment compared one-sided and two-sided propaganda presentations for preparing high school students to resist subsequent counter-propaganda — related
• An introduction arousing suspicion of the communicator's motives leads the identical communication to be judged more one-sided — related