Pro-Attitudinal Advocacy: Effects of Extrinsic Rewards on Attitudes

Abstract

Cognitive evaluation theory (Chapter 5), derived in part from the work of Heider (1958) and de Charms (1968), distinguishes between an internal and external locus of causality. This distinction, which will be considered in greater detail in Chapter 10, is illustrated by the following example. Imagine a person who attempted to persuade his neighbor to support a referendum blocking the construction of an expressway through a nearby game preserve. If he did it because he believed strongly in wildlife conservation, the perceived locus of causality would be internal: he tried to persuade his neighbor because of his attitude about conservation. However, if he had a neutral attitude but was hired by the Conservation Society to campaign for the referendum, the perceived locus of causality for the behavior would be external: he did it because of the payments.