Browsing by Subject "Attitude change"
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Item A study of the effects of an attitude change manipulation on hypnotic susceptibility(Texas Tech University, 1977-12) Harris, William W.The purpose of this study was to investigate the phenomenon of hypnosis within the confines of attitude change theory. As will be shown, previous research related to hypnotic susceptibility and attitude toward hypnosis has tended to ignore the advances made by social psychologists in the investigation of attitude and behavior change. This study is seen as an initial effort to integrate attitude change theory with hypnosis in the study of human behavior.Item An experimental study of the effectiveness of attitude change techniques for enhancing self-esteem(Texas Tech University, 1977-08) Friedenberg, William PNot availableItem Attitude change as a function of personality, ego-involvement, and transparency of the influence attempt(Texas Tech University, 1971-08) Mintz, Stanley IrvingNot availableItem Cognitive self-persuasion: application for increasing program persistence in multi-disciplined professional weight loss clinics(Texas Tech University, 1987-05) Pierce, Richard AThe purpose of the present investigation was to determine whether a significant relationship exists between the design of the new members' orientation program presented to new clients in six professional weight loss medical centers and the subsequent rate and proportion of overall client attrition. Subjects for the current investigation were 147 female clients between the ages of 20 to 70 years old. Clients in condition 1 ("Standard Treatment Control") participated in the existing multidiscipline weight loss program exactly as is. Clients in condition 2 ("Non-Participation Control") were offered, but refused, participation in a special new members' orientation program. Clients in condition 3 ("Time-Attention Control") attended a special new members' orientation program designed to provide clients with extra time and attention. Clients in condition 4 ("Motivation Enhancement Program") attended a special new members' orientation program designed to increase regular weekly class attendance. Results of a nested analysis of variance procedure demonstrated a strong positive effect for treatment, together with a non-significant effect for centers. Post hoc Multiple F analyses further demonstrated that subjects participating in the Motivation Enhancement Program attended significantly more consecutive weeks of classes than subjects in the Standard Treatment Control group, the Non-Participation Control group, and the Time-Attention Control group. No significant differences were found between the Standard Treatment Control, Non-Participation Control, and Time-Attention Control groups. Results of four separate chi square analyses of proportions further demonstrated the superiority of the Motivation Enhancement Program for significantly increasing the proportion of clients exhibiting an "active" class status as compared to either the Standard Treatment Control or Time-Attention Control group- In addition, it was further suggested that the Motivation Enhancement Program was also superior to the Non-Participation Control group for increasing the proportion of new clients demonstrating "active" class attendance during the study's 12-week experimental period. Taken as a whole, the results of the current investigation appear to suggest both the importance and therapeutic value of the cognitive self-persuasion techniques employed in the design and implementation of the four-hour Motivation Enhancement Program.Item Intelligence as a variable affecting attitude change in management development courses(Texas Tech University, 1970-05) Wilterding, Jim ArnoldDespite the cost and pervasiveness of management development, there has been, to date, a paucity of research concerning attitude change produced by management development courses. Even less research has been addressed to the question of why these courses influence a chance in attitude. Organizations are thus spending money without a solid determination of the program's effectiveness. Since there is no indication that management development activities will appreciably lessen, it seems appropriate that research be conducted to determine if attitudes do change, and why. Only after such study will one know who should participate, what communication (course content) should be used, what instructional methodology should be employed, and who should instruct. Without such research, management development will be a casualty on two fronts: the fad criticism will continue because there is no systematic, unified approach; and firms will not know if they are providing developmental activities which will produce the desired objectives.Item Persuasive message effects on individuals versus interacting groups(Texas Tech University, 1986-05) Norton, Larry WayneThe purpose of this dissertation was to examine the impact that a persuasive message has on group decision making among interacting face-to-face groups. The outcomes from these conditions were compared to those outcomes yielded from individuals' reactions to the same persuasive message. The logic underlying this approach is twofold: (1) To serve as a test of Petty and Cacioppo's Elaboration Likelihood Model generalizability to group behavior and, (2) to investigate the general question of whether groups and individuals process information in a similar fashion. The major dependent variables of interest were the degree to which subjects agreed with the arguments presented in the persuasive message, the valence of cognitive responses generated in reaction to the persuasive message, the extent to which individual group members influenced each other during group discussion, and the rate (in real time units) at which groups reached a decision. The design called for the use of a three-way analysis of variance where the factors were (1) source credibility, (2) personal involvement of the subjects in the attitude issue and, (3) individual subjects versus interacting groups. These comparisons were made at three time periods—before group discussion, the groups' collective responses, and after group discussion. The findings showed a partial confirmation of the hypothesis that groups and individuals would differ in their agreement with the persuasive message. Groups evidenced more message agreement after the conclusion of group discussion (i.e., as individuals) relative to individuals after an elaborative reprocessing of the persuasive message. It was hypothesized that the groups' collective responses would differ from those of individual subjects responding alone. Such an effect was not evidenced from the data. Results also showed that groups took longer to process the decision task as a function of the level of personal involvement in the persuasive message. Groups under the high personal involvement condition took longer to complete the task than did those subjects under the low involvement condition. It was also shown that the credibility manipulation had a greater impact on the way that individual group members influence the attitudes of each other during the process of group interaction than did the involvement manipulation. These findings are discussed in terms of (a) the elaboration likelihood model, (b) social versus informational influences on group related attitude change and, (c) the nature of persuasive message effects on individuals versus interacting groups.Item Quantitative and testimonial evidence in persuasive communication(Texas Tech University, 1978-08) Willis, Joseph A.Not availableItem The elaboration likelihood model and the role of affect(Texas Tech University, 1987-08) Bratt, Avery HAccording to the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), a wide variety of variables, both within the individual and within the situation, can affect an individual's motivation and/or ability to process issue-relevant information. Although it is widely accepted that mood may affect information processing, investigators of the ELM have failed to fully consider this. The purpose of this investigation was to help elucidate the role of affect in the ELM. More specifically, this investigation was designed to assess the ways in which depressed and elated students process a highly involving counterattitudinal message. Depressed and elated students were exposed to either a strong or weak set of highly involving arguments supporting a countersttitudinal appeal emanating from a source of either high or low credibility. Based upon a review of the mood literature, it was expected that depressed students, due to the congruence between their mood state and the message content, would attend more closely to the message content and be more influenced by the quality of the message than elated students. Elated students, on the other hand, were expected to attend less closely to the message and be more influenced by the credibility of the source. The following hypotheses were made: 1) When the argument was strong and the credibility of the source low, more persuasion would be found in the depressed than in the elated groups. 2) When the argument was strong and the credibility of the source high, no differences would be found between groups. 3) When the argument was weak and the credibility of the source high, more persuasion would be found in the elated than the depressed groups. 4) When the argument was weak and credibility of the source low, no differences would be found for the groups. Overall, general support was found for the predictions. Significant results were obtained on hypothesis one, two, and four, while a nonsignificant trend in the expected direction was noted on hypothesis three. Results are discussed from the perspective of the ELM. Limitations of the present study, directions for future studies, and clinical implications are discussed.Item The Use of Simulation Games to Change Attitudes in Home and Family Living Classes(Texas Tech University, 1971-12) Harbin, DorineNot Available.