Within-dimension Attitude Consistency: A Review of the Literature
Attitudes have been studied for over a century, and have been found to influence our behavior and decisions. Attitudes are typically described by three components: affect, cognition, and behavior, and they can be both positive and negative. Attitude consistency refers to the extent to which an individual’s attitudes are consistent across different dimensions. This article reviews the literature on within-dimension attitude consistency, with a focus on the factors that influence it, the implications of attitude consistency, and the implications for research.
The Factors Influencing Within-dimension Attitude Consistency
Studies have shown that a variety of factors can influence the degree of within-dimension attitude consistency. These factors include individual characteristics, such as gender, age, and personality traits; situational factors, such as the context in which the attitude is expressed; and the type of attitude being expressed.
Individual Characteristics
Studies have found that gender is a major influence on within-dimension attitude consistency. Specifically, research has suggested that women tend to be more consistent in their attitudes than men (Cohen & Felson, 1979). Additionally, age has been found to play a role in attitude consistency, with younger individuals demonstrating more within-dimension inconsistency than older individuals (Rosenberg & Hovland, 1960). Furthermore, individual personality traits, such as neuroticism and agreeableness, have been found to be related to within-dimension attitude consistency (Luk & Bond, 1990).
Situational Factors
Situational factors have also been found to influence within-dimension attitude consistency. For example, research has suggested that individuals tend to be more consistent when they are asked to express their attitudes in a public setting, as opposed to a private setting (Krosnick & Petty, 1995). Additionally, the type of attitude being expressed has been found to play a role, with attitudes related to moral issues showing higher levels of consistency than those related to social issues (Kunda, 1987).
Implications of Attitude Consistency
The degree of within-dimension attitude consistency has implications for both research and everyday life. In terms of research, attitude consistency is important because it allows researchers to make inferences about an individual’s attitudes and behavior. For example, if an individual expresses consistent attitudes across different dimensions, it can be inferred that they will also behave in a consistent manner. In terms of everyday life, attitude consistency can be seen as an indication of an individual’s commitment to their beliefs and values.
Implications for Research
The findings from the literature on within-dimension attitude consistency suggest several important implications for future research. First, researchers should take into account the individual and situational factors that influence attitude consistency when designing experiments and surveys. Additionally, researchers should consider the implications of attitude consistency for both research and everyday life. Finally, the findings suggest that further research is needed to better understand the factors influencing attitude consistency, and the implications of attitude consistency.
Conclusion
This article has reviewed the literature on within-dimension attitude consistency, with a focus on the factors that influence it, the implications of attitude consistency, and the implications for research. The findings suggest that individual characteristics, such as gender and age, and situational factors, such as the context in which the attitude is expressed, play an important role in attitude consistency. Additionally, the degree of within-dimension attitude consistency has implications for both research and everyday life. Future research should take into account the factors influencing attitude consistency, and explore the implications of attitude consistency.
References
Cohen, L., & Felson, M. (1979). Social change and crime rate trends: a routine activity approach. American Sociological Review, 44(4), 588-608.
Krosnick, J. A., & Petty, R. E. (1995). Attitude strength: an overview. In R. E. Petty & J. A. Krosnick (Eds.), Attitude strength: Antecedents and Consequences (pp. 1-24). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Kunda, Z. (1987). Motivated inference: self-serving generation and evaluation of causal theories. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(4), 636–647.
Luk, C. K., & Bond, M. H. (1990). The effects of personality traits, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations on attitudinal consistency. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 16(3), 420-429.
Rosenberg, M. J., & Hovland, C. I. (1960). Cognitive, affective, and behavioral components of attitude. In M. J. Rosenberg & C. I. Hovland (Eds.), Attitude organization and change: An analysis of consistency among attitude components (pp. 1-14). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.