The amplification hypothesis tells us about attitude certainty.
You want to convince your audience that you are right and the other side is wrong.
You think that by using strong arguments, you will be able to sway people’s opinions. But it doesn’t work that way.
How can we counter extreme positions?
Here we go:
The Amplification Hypothesis
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The Amplification Hypothesis
It’s common to find that counterarguments strengthen existing beliefs instead of weakening them.
The phenomenon is known as the amplification hypothesis, where displaying certainty about an attitude when talking with another person increases and hardens that attitude.
“Across experiments, it is demonstrated that increasing attitude certainty strengthens attitudes (e.g., increases their resistance to persuasion) when attitudes are univalent but weakens attitudes (e.g., decreases their resistance to persuasion) when attitudes are ambivalent. These results are consistent with the amplification hypothesis.“
Source: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1Clarkson, J. J., Tormala, Z. L., & Rucker, D. D. (2008). A new look at the consequences of attitude certainty: The amplification hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, … Continue reading
How does the amplification hypothesis work?
In a threatening situation or emergency, we resort to the primal (fastest) part of the brain and survival instincts (fight, flight and freeze). 2Surviving the Storm: Understanding the Nature of Attacks held at Animal Care Expo, 2011 in Orlando, FL.
Establishing common ground and exhibiting empathy demonstrates a genuine understanding of their perspective, fostering trust and openness to your ideas. Conversely, a strategic mismatch of attitudes can serve as a powerful countermeasure if your objective is to deflect persuasive attempts.
Persuade
To persuade, align your attitude with the target. Otherwise, you will only act to create resistance.
Provoke
To put off a persuader, mismatch their attitudes. When they are logical, be emotional, and vice versa.
Learn more: The Amplification Hypothesis: How To Counter Extreme Positions
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The Power of Attitude Polarisation
The amplification hypothesis (sometimes called attitude polarisation) is a well-known psychological effect. 6Related theories are reinforcement theory, selective exposure theory, and subjective validation.
Attitude polarization occurs when individuals with strong attitudes on a particular issue are confronted with evidence or arguments that contradict their beliefs. Rather than modifying their attitudes, they become even more entrenched in their beliefs, leading to increased attitude certainty. 7D. K. Freedheim (Ed.) History of psychology. Vol. 1 of I. Weiner (Ed.) Comprehensive Handbook of Psychology. New York: Wiley.
The effect is believed to be due to several psychological processes, such as confirmation bias, which is the tendency to seek out and interpret information in a way that supports our pre-existing beliefs, and the backfire effect, which is the tendency for people to become more firmly attached to their beliefs when they are challenged. 8Confirmation bias. (2023, December 6). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias
Displaying uncertainty about an attitude, on the other hand, can lead to attitude change because it undermines the individual’s confidence in their beliefs and makes them more open to considering alternative perspectives.
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ANNOTATIONS
| 1 | Clarkson, J. J., Tormala, Z. L., & Rucker, D. D. (2008). A new look at the consequences of attitude certainty: The amplification hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(4), 810 – 825. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013192 |
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| 2 | Surviving the Storm: Understanding the Nature of Attacks held at Animal Care Expo, 2011 in Orlando, FL. |
| 3 | Silfwer, J. (2017, June 13). Conversion Theory — Disproportionate Minority Influence. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://doctorspin.net/conversion-theory/ |
| 4 | Beck (1999): Homogenization, Dehumanization and Demonization. |
| 5 | Cognitive dissonance. (2023, November 20). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance |
| 6 | Related theories are reinforcement theory, selective exposure theory, and subjective validation. |
| 7 | D. K. Freedheim (Ed.) History of psychology. Vol. 1 of I. Weiner (Ed.) Comprehensive Handbook of Psychology. New York: Wiley. |
| 8 | Confirmation bias. (2023, December 6). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias |
