Attitude Change Toward the Winner and the Loser of the 1976 Presidential Election

Summary

Eighty-eight male and female undergraduates participated in a study designed to test the hypothesis that a significant relationship exists between actual and predicted attitude changes toward the winner and the loser of the 1976 presidential election. Osgood and Tannenbaum's congruity theory was used to obtain the predicted changes in attitude. Results confirmed the hypothesis and indicated that supporters of a candidate became even more loyal to him after he was defeated at the polls. Persons who before the election were not favorable toward the winner became more favorable toward him after his victory.