| Abstrakt: |
As the number of experimental studies in primacy-recency has grown, it has become apparent that a variety of independent variables can influence the formation and change of attitudes and opinions. Although some attempts have been made to embrace several variables within the context of a single theoretical scheme, such efforts have not proved totally successful. One purpose of this paper is to introduce the rationale for such a system. The system introduced is based on the assumption that some variables, better than others, are able to induce a primacy or a recency effect. This assumption implies that variables can be classified on an order-effect hierarchy. Variables that exert a greater relative influence are thought to fall toward one end of the hierarchy; weaker variables, toward the other. To determine the placement of several pertinent variables, the effect on attitude formation of complementary variables (Lee, those known to produce the same effect) and competing variables (those known to produce opposite effects) was observed. Results suggest that strength of argument falls toward the "strong" end of an order-effect hierarchy and that variables such as delayed reinforcement, familiarity or unfamiliarity with the topic or content of a communication, and displacement of affect fall toward the "weak" end. Enculturated-response variables fall toward the center. A combination of complementary variables at the "strong" end of the order- effect hierarchy should have greater influence in producing a desired effect than a combination of complementary variables at the "weak" end of the hierarchy. In a combination of competitive variables, when one is from the strong end and the other from the weak end of the hierarchy, the effect should be in the direction implied by the stronger variable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
