Cognitive structure as a predictor of post speech attitude and attitude change

This study investigates Cronkhite's hypotheses for predicting post speech attitude and attitude change. Eight motivational concepts or consequences of a proposed change in policy were determined. An individual's perceptions of the consequences were operationally defined as his cognitive structure for the proposal. As a pretest, subjects indicated their attitudes toward the consequences, their beliefs that the consequences are related instrumentally to the proposal, and their attitudes toward the proposal. At a later date the subjects listened to a counterattitudinal speech on the proposal. A post‐test repeated the pretest measures. In support of Cronkhite's hypotheses, it was observed that cognitive structure predicts post speech attitude, and change in cognitive structure predicts attitude change.