title: Fear-induced attitude change as a function of conformity and drinking pattern in alcoholics.
abstract: Investigated the effectiveness of fear arousal for inducing attitude change toward drinking in alcoholics (N = 38). Fear arousal, whereby aversive consequences are associated with some undesirable target behavior, has proved popular and sometimes effective in persuasive attempts designed to induce attitude change. A communication that linked brain damage with excessive drinking was successful in arousing fear in alcoholics and resulted in a more negative attitude toward their own drinking, but did not affect their attitude toward drinking by others. Attitude change was more pronounced in alcoholics who previously had scored high on a conformity task, but was not related to pattern of drinking. Fear arousal may have a place in alcoholism treatment, although attitude change is not necessarily accompanied by changes in behavior.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001143:Arousal; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003142:Communication; D005239:Fear; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010551:Personality; D011379:Prognosis; D012925:Social Conformity