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BuiEMastersThesisFinal_071113.pdf (1.13 MB)

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Implications of the Implicit Misattribution Model for the Evaluative Conditioning of Attitudes towards Spiders

Bui, Elise Thuylinh
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1373556547

Abstract Details

2013, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Psychology.
Evaluative conditioning (EC) involves developing or changing attitudes, i.e. evaluations of objects, by the mere pairing of a target object with other objects of a given valence. Our aim is to better understand evaluative conditioning and its underlying mechanisms so as to develop applications for changing negative attitudes. One mechanism by which evaluative conditioning is known to work, implicit misattribution, posits that evaluations of the unconditioned stimulus (US) are mistakenly viewed as having been evoked by the conditioned stimulus (CS) when they are paired together. The experiment examined conditions under which evaluative conditioning regarding spiders might be effective and ineffective from the perspective of the implicit misattribution model. An EC procedure paired spider images with positive pictures and words. However, inducing implicit misattribution was likely to be difficult, due to generally strong negative attitudes toward spiders. That is, the source of the positive evaluation would obviously not be the spider. To promote source confusion, the CS in one condition were spider images that were previously rated as relatively more appealing. Comparison conditions included one in which CS were relatively unappealing spider images and a control condition in which no US-CS pairs appeared. 130 undergraduates participated for course credit. The main dependent variable of interest was pleasantness ratings of photos of spiders. Regression analyses examined main effects and interactions between condition and scores on a commonly-employed questionnaire assessing Fear of Spiders. More positive attitude change occurred in more-pleasant spider condition than in the condition involving less-pleasant spider images or the control condition. However, this effect was moderated such that only participants with lower fear of spiders showed attitude change relative to control. The effect also was observed for ratings of new spiders not previously seen during the EC procedure, indicating that generalization of attitudes occurred beyond CS spiders. The less-pleasant spider condition did not change attitudes relative to the control condition. Results support the implicit misattribution model and suggest strategies for promoting attitude change via evaluative conditioning in diverse applications, but also reveal potential limitations of the procedure. Individual differences in previously-held attitudes can affect the success of attitude change via EC due to their impact upon source confusion. To be effective, the EC procedure must promote source confusion and, hence, implicit misattribution.
Russell Fazio, PhD (Committee Chair)
Richard Petty, PhD (Committee Member)
Michael Vasey, PhD (Committee Member)
44 p.
Psychology
attitudes, attitude change, evaluative conditioning, spiders, psychology

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Bui, E. T. (2013). Implications of the Implicit Misattribution Model for the Evaluative Conditioning of Attitudes towards Spiders [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1373556547

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Bui, Elise. Implications of the Implicit Misattribution Model for the Evaluative Conditioning of Attitudes towards Spiders. 2013. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1373556547.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Bui, Elise. "Implications of the Implicit Misattribution Model for the Evaluative Conditioning of Attitudes towards Spiders." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1373556547

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1373556547
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.