Cognitive organization of favorable and unfavorable beliefs about performing a behavior.
Intentions to perform behaviors are influenced by beliefs about their consequences, but researchers have not addressed how such beliefs are cognitively organized. In 3 experiments, the authors tested the hypothesis that beliefs are organized according to whether they are favorable or unfavorable in regard to performing a behavior. In Experiment 1, a group of U.S. students first read a list of beliefs favorable and unfavorable to going to a vacation resort and then listed their beliefs about condom use. In Experiment 2, another group of U.S. students listed their beliefs about condom use. In Experiment 3, a 3rd group of U.S. students listed their beliefs about a novel behavior (asking the experimenter for candy). The results of all 3 experiments were consistent with the hypothesis that people cognitively organize their beliefs according to whether they are favorable or unfavorable to the behavior in question.
Duran
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Department of Psychology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces 88003-8001, USA. aduran@nmsu.edu
Trafimow
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D001290:Attitude; D001519:Behavior; D003071:Cognition; D006801:Humans; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires