Informational influence in group discussion

Abstract An informational influence explanation of group-induced shift on choice dilemma items was examined by experimental manipulation and by a mathematical model based on information weighing assumptions. Although the exchange of arguments in an interactive discussion context produced significant response change, passive reading of arguments did not. Examination of the model revealed that at a molar level the mean model prediction for an item corresponded closely with the mean shift observed on that item following discussion. At a more molecular level, the informational model failed to predict the magnitude of specific group shifts on particular items. A suggestion as to how the informational influence explanation could be refined to accommodate these findings was taken from theory and research on the role of cognitive learning and cognitive rehearsal in attitude change.

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