Expectancy-Value Models of Attitude: A Test of Three Alternatives

Based on a theory of cognitive structure, a conditional probability model of expectancyvalue attitudes was compared to two traditional operationalizations using moral (i.e., good bad) and affective (1.e., pleasant unpleasant) evaluations, respectively. The models were tested on two independent samples of 110 persons each through confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical regression procedures. Although the three types of evaluations achieved discriminant validity, only the conditional probability operationalization was found to validly combine multiplicatively with beliefs to predict attitude toward the act of giving blood. The rationale and implications of the models were scrutinized from the perspective of both attitude theory and a proposed revision integrating attitude theory with certain ideas from McGuires (1968, 1981) theory of human thought.