Temporal Persistence of Attitudes Induced Through Required Training

Abstract

A posttest-only control group design procedure was used with a semantic differential questionnaire to examine the persistence of changes in racial attitudes induced via a required training course for supervisors at a large military installation. Overall, a general, but small, positive change in attitude was observed immediately following the course. This attitude change subsequently decayed over a twelve- to thirteen-week period. Surprisingly, a "sleeper effect" seemed to emerge four to five weeks after the training session, resulting in significant, but short-term, positive attitude changes. The sleeper effect emerged in the absence of previously postulated conditions for its occurrence, such as close interaction of participants and reward systems to encourage behavior consistent with the changed attitudes.