Biased Elaboration

Abstract

We have now seen that a wide variety of variables can moderate the route to persuasion by increasing or decreasing the extent to which a person is motivated or able to process the issue-relevant arguments in a relatively objective manner. As we noted in the preceding chapters, however, variables can also affect persuasion by affecting motivation and/or ability to process message arguments in a more biased fashion. There are a number of ways to induce biased processing. In this chapter we focus first on a variable that typically enables biased elaboration—the extent to which a person has a preexisting attitude schema or structure. Then, we highlight research on forewarnings that motivate more biased information processing. Finally, we briefly address some other variables that appear to lead to biased elaboration of persuasive communications.