@article{ref1,
title="Seeking Confirmation in Times of Doubt",
journal="Social psychological and personality science",
year="2011",
author="Sawicki, Vanessa and Wegener, Duane T. and Clark, Jason K. and Fabrigar, Leandre R. and Smith, Steven M. and Bengal, Steven T.",
volume="2",
number="5",
pages="540-546",
abstract="Strong attitudes exert greater influence on social perceptions, judgments, and behaviors. Some research indicates that strong attitudes are associated with exposure to attitude-confirming information. However, we believe that uncertain attitudes might produce strong selective exposure to attitude-consistent information, especially when available information is unfamiliar. In three experiments, participants reported attitude favorability, reported attitude confidence (Study 1A and 2) or completed a doubt-priming manipulation (Study 1B), and selected information supporting or opposing an issue. When chosen information was relatively unfamiliar (in all three studies), uncertainty led to more attitude-consistent exposure than certainty did. However, when chosen information was more familiar (in Study 2), the pattern of effects was significantly reversed: Certainty led to more attitude-consistent exposure than did uncertainty. This finding suggests that under certain conditions, uncertainty can motivate people to seek attitude-confirming information, thereby creating a motivational basis for weak attitudes to have strong influences on information seeking.<p />",
language="",
issn="1948-5506",
doi="10.1177/1948550611400212",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1948550611400212"
}