Attitudes in the Social Context: The Impact of Social Network Composition on Individual-Level Attitude Strength

Attitudes in the Social Context The Impact of Social Network Composition on Individual-Level Attitude Strength

Four studies, using both experimental and correlational designs, explored the implications of being embedded within attitudinally congruent versus attitudinally heterogeneous social networks for individual-level attitude strength. Individuals embedded within congruent social networks (i.e., made up...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of personality and social psychology Vol. 87; no. 6; pp. 779 - 795
Main Authors: Visser, Penny S, Mirabile, Robert R
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Washington, DC American Psychological Association 01-12-2004
Subjects:
Adult Attitudes
Attitude
Attitude Change
Attitude Similarity
Attitudes
Behavior. Attitude
Biological and medical sciences
Computers
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Heterogeneity
Human
Humans
Male
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Social Environment
Social interaction
Social Networks
Social psychology
Social Support
Social environment
Human
Social network
Change resistance
Attitude
Attitude change
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Summary:Four studies, using both experimental and correlational designs, explored the implications of being embedded within attitudinally congruent versus attitudinally heterogeneous social networks for individual-level attitude strength. Individuals embedded within congruent social networks (i.e., made up of others with similar views) were more resistant to attitude change than were individuals embedded within heterogeneous social networks (i.e., made up of others with a range of views). Mediational evidence suggests that attitudinally congruous social networks may increase attitude strength by decreasing attitudinal ambivalence and perhaps by increasing the certainty with which people hold their attitudes. These results suggest that features of the social context in which an attitude is held have important implications for individual-level attitude strength.
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ISSN:0022-3514
1939-1315
DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.87.6.779