PERMISSIVE INTRODUCTION AND ANCHORING IN ALTERING PERCEPTUAL-JUDGMENTAL PROCESSES AND IMPACT OF A PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION

Previous research on the influence of external anchors on judgment of a persuasive communication has produced conflicting results. Permissive introduction to a communication is investigated in this study for its importance in judgmental responses and subsequent opinion effects, and is used to account for the previous inconsistent results concerning anchoring. Following anchoring or permissive introduction or both, subjects judged the position advocated in a communication dealing with treatment of juvenile delinquents and registered their own opinions on the issue. The data support the hypothesis that permissive introduction alters judgment of the communicator's position, whereas anchors alone do not produce a significant difference. Opinion effects are consistent with the judgmental results and indicate that the more extreme the perceived stand advocated in the communication, the greater the opinion change. The effects of a permissive introduction are discussed in terms of alternative hypotheses of an atmosphere effect or salience for alternative attitudinal stands. © 1969.