Discovery of Reliable Attitude Change Persistence Resulting from a Transmitter Tuning Set

Abstract

Support was found for the hypothesis that recipients of persuasive messages who are set to transmit the contents to others will exhibit attitude change that persists over time. In four studies, 208 students and 300 nonstudent adults were given either a transmitter set or a control set (a set to receive more information or no set instructions) prior to reading a persuasive message. Transmitters consistently exhibited more attitude change persistence at delays ranging from two to five months, across different populations, and for attitude issues evoking varying degrees of initial agreement. The practical implications for public health and education are discussed.