How Do People Resolve Confict Between Implicit and Explicit Attitudes?

Abstract

How do implicit attitudes infuence behavior when they are in confict with explicit attitudes? In Study 1, smokers' negative implicit attitudes and positive explicit attitudes towards smoking were activated. Then emotions were measured. The stronger the negative implicit attitudes that the smokers held, the stronger the confict experienced. Study 2 showed that cognitive capacity allows for this confict, as positive explicit and negative implicit attitudes may be applied simultaneously. The stronger the negative implicit attitudes the smokers held, the stronger the confict experienced. Smokers resolved the confict through the inhibition of implicit attitudes (by smoking cigarettes). Without cognitive capacity, only implicit attitudes were applied, and thus no confict was aroused. Study 3 confrmed that smoking cigarettes inhibited negative implicit attitudes. © 2011, Versita. All rights reserved.