Attitude modification and duration of persistence as a function of number of exposures to response-correlated reinforcement

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the persistence of attitude modification induced by response-correlated reinforcement and the effect of number of reinforced trials upon such modification. Response-correlated reinforcement is not contingent on the occurrence of a response but rather is temporally correlated with its occurrence. Previous research has shown this new type of reinforcement to be effective in verbal learning and in attitude change. Sixty introductory psychology students served as Ss. Three persons were required in this experimental procedure: the real E, the real S, and the pseudo-S. The real-S was told that he was going to be given the chance to be an E and that a good E can influence his S to respond in a particular way. Each S attempted to move his S (the pseudo-S) to a more positive evaluation of the neutral attitude object (labor unions) by the way he presented the adjective pairs. The pseudo-Ss responses were predetermined, and he moved in the appropriate direction on the four critical (reinforced) evaluative scales while not moving on the noncritical (nonreinforced) scales. These eight adjective pairs were obtained from the evaluative dimension of Osgood's semantic differential. The real S verbally presented the adjective pairs to the pseudo-S either three, five, or seven times. The S then took a written form of the semantic differential under the guise of ''additional information for a future study." A post-experimental questionnaire was used to determine the S's awareness of the purpose of the experiment. The Ss returned either two weeks or four weeks following the initial session and were given the semantic differential. The difference between the scores on the critical scales and the scores on the noncritical scales was statistically significant, with higher scores on the critical scales. This revealed that attitude change was accomplished when Ss were exposed to response-correlated reinforcement and that no attitude change occurred in the absence of such reinforcement. The persistence of this attitude change was found to decrease progressively over time with a complete loss of attitude change after four weeks. Number of trials did not affect either immediate attitude change or the persistence of attitude change. The post-experimental questionnaire indicated that the Ss were not aware of the actual purpose of the experiment. The important implications of the response-correlated reinforcement phenomenon for attitude modification, traditional learning theory, and incidental learning were discussed.