Modeling the ego-defensive function of attitudes

Abstract

Studying the psychological needs served by holding certain attitudes is the focus of the functional approach to attitudinal research. One function evidenced consistently in attitudinal studies is the ego-defensive function. Attitudes serving an ego-defensive function protect one's self-concept from counterattitudinal messages about the self. This paper presents an alternative perspective for understanding the ego-defensive function by conceiving and modeling it as a causal process. The data were consistent with a hypothesized model in which a message threatening to a salient aspect of self-concept, as opposed to a non-threatening message, initiates ego-defensiveness resulting in more negative message-related thoughts, discounting message content, and source derogation. Source derogation was related negatively to conformity to message recommendations. These findings suggest a new way of thinking about the ego-defensive function and the ways in which people respond to counterattitudinal information about an issue on which they are highly ego-involved.