Availability of Well-Defined Internal Knowledge and the Attitude Formation Process: Information Aggregation versus Self-Perception

Hypothesized that well-defined internal knowledge will be available if individuals have access to immediate sensory data. When this occurs, an information-aggregation process will guide judgment. In contrast, if individuals lack immediate sensory data, well-defined internal knowledge is unavailable and a self-perception process is used to infer attitude. These predictions were supported in 3 experiments with 276 21-60 yr old females (Exps I and II). The availability of immediate sensory data was manipulated by making either taste data (immediate sensory data) or consensual data (nonimmediate sensory data) available at the time processing was initiated. The attitude process used was detected by examining whether the presence of an incentive had an enhancing effect (information aggregation) or an undermining effect (self-perception) on attitude. Findings show that the availability of well-defined internal knowledge determined whether an information aggregation or a self-perception process guided judgment. The moderating impact of Ss' Self-Monitoring Scale scores on the findings is discussed.