Off-Target? An Explanation for Asymetric Effects of Attitude Structure

CONTACT AUTHOR JENNIFER AAKER DIRECTLY FOR PAPER COPIES._x000B__x000B__x000B__x000B_Researchers argue that the effectiveness of cognitive versus affective persuasive appeals depends in part on whether the appeal targets a primarily cognitive or affective attitude base. However, considerable research shows that the effects of intra-attitudinal structure hold only for affectively-based attitudes and not cognitively-based attitudes. We examine two potential explanations for this asymmetry in intra-attitudinal structure effects: Scale Response Incompatibility and Component Form Difference. Results of Experiment I do not support a Scale Response Incompatibility explanation, which suggests that intra-attitudinal structure effects exist for cognitively-based attitudes but need to be measured with cognition-based scales. Results of Experiment 2 provide support for a Component Form Difference explanation, which suggests that affectively-based and cognitively-based attitudes are congentially different in structure and form. Therefore, symmetry intra-attitudinal structure effects occurs only when these differences are taken into account.