Attitudinal Identification, Stimulus Complexity and Retrospective Duration Estimation

Abstract

Using retrospective estimation, the reading time for social positions with which the reader identified was estimated to be longer than the reading time for positions which the reader opposed. In addition, greater complexity in formulating the social positions resulted in a higher estimated reading time. The two factors of attitudinal identification and stimulus complexity did not interact, and influenced estimated reading time additively. The highest estimated time was for complex positions with which the subjects identified, and the lowest estimated time was for simple positions that the subjects opposed. The findings are discussed in terms of epistemic motivations and a contextual-change model of retrospective duration judgement. Implications for understanding influence and persuasion processes in various social contexts are discussed. © 1993, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.