Unfreezing attitudes: Understanding pretest sensitization in the Ising attitude model

Van der Maas and colleagues (2020) have recently proposed a mathematical model of opinion formation using Ising networks of attitude elements in order to study polarization and attitude formation A fundamental aspect of this type of network is that it allows for continuous as well as discrete behavior; attention/involvement polarizes attitudes. When individuals are not highly involved in a topic, new information gradually shifts their opinions. However, when individuals are highly involved, their opinions are discrete and require more information to change. This implies that to change someone's opinion, we need to manipulate information without increasing attention. However, explicit attitude measurements can unintentionally increase attention (mere thought effect; Tesser 1978), which has important implications for standard experimental designs. Pretest questionnaires can "freeze" the network, making it difficult for interventions to have an effect - this constitutes a new explanation of an effect known as pretest sensitization. On the other hand, this "freezing" effect may be beneficial for post-testing as this may preserve the effect of the intervention. We propose a study using an extension of the Solomon four-group design to test these hypotheses and identify the most appropriate experimental designs for testing opinion change. In addition to the four-group design (1. pretest-intervention-posttest, 2. pretest-posttest, 3. intervention-posttest, and 4. posttest), we will include three additional conditions: 5. an early pretest-intervention-posttest condition to test whether pretest-induced involvement fades, 6. an intervention-delayed posttest condition and 7. an intervention-posttest-delayed posttest condition to test the effect of posttest intervention preservation. The polarizing effect of attention can have important implications for attitude change interventions and experimental designs, highlighting the need to carefully consider how to measure attitudes and control for potential confounding factors. This study can further advance our understanding of attitude formation and help develop effective strategies for changing attitudes.