A Network Perspective on Attitude Strength: Testing the Connectivity Hypothesis

Abstract

Attitude strength is a key characteristic of attitudes. Strong attitudes are durable and impactful, while weak attitudes are fluctuating and inconsequential. Recently, the causal attitude network (CAN) model was proposed as a comprehensive measurement model of attitudes, which conceptualizes attitudes as networks of causally connected evaluative reactions (i.e., beliefs, feelings, and behavior toward an attitude object). Here, we test the central postulate of the CAN model that highly connected attitude networks correspond to strong attitudes. We use data from the American National Election Studies 1980–2012 on attitudes toward presidential candidates (N = 18,795). We first show that political interest predicts connectivity of attitude networks toward presidential candidates. Second, we show that connectivity is strongly related to two defining features of strong attitudes—stability of the attitude and the attitude’s impact on behavior. We conclude that network theory provides a promising framework to advance the understanding of attitude strength.