The Effect of Prior Information on Attitude Change.

An 18 month longitudinal study tested the assumption that the amount of prior political information influences the degree of ideological attitude change under conditions of exposure to counterattitudinal presentations. Male and female college students (n = 97) served as Ss, and the study was conceived as a natural experiment in which the attitudes of beginning freshmen were exposed to the questioning and challenge of college coursework. Results indicated that well and moderately informed students changed their political orientation less than poorly informed students.