The Persistence of Experimentally Induced Attitude Change

This chapter presents the persistence of experimentally induced change. Several theoretical benefits are expected from a review of the persistence literature that has slowly and unsystematically accumulated in experimental social psychology. Just as theories of long-term memory stress different concepts from theories of short-term memory, so theories of persistence may employ different concepts from theories of initial attitude change. It is also useful to highlight the constructs that are unique to persistence theories and are not part of current analyses of initial attitude change. The chapter indicates how well current procedures leading to initial attitude change succeed in producing persistent attitude change. The concern for predicting persistence can be expressed at several theoretical levels. The chapter explores that, at the level of specific theories, it is important to compare the level of persistence. Reviewing the persistence literature also helps in help in determining whether “attitude’’ really changes in laboratory experiments on attitude change.