![Sample our Humanities journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5939/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Humanities.jpg"})
Abstract
This investigation focuses on attitude change as a function of the internality of cognitive responses. Proponents of the ownness bias (Perloff & Brock, 1980) contend that internally generated thoughts will have greater impact on attitude change than will externally generated thoughts. An experiment was conducted to test that prediction. Participants (N = 165) were exposed to three persuasive messages. Next, attitude and cognitive response data were collected and analyzed. For each of the three messages, the pattern of data was exactly opposite that predicted by the ownness bias: Externally generated thoughts were more predictive of attitude change than were internally generated cognitions. Limitations on these findings are discussed, and possible scope conditions of the ownness bias are proposed.