VALUE-MATCHING AND -MISMATCHING PROMOTES PERCEIVED CORRECTNESS OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDES RESPECTIVELY

Abstract

Although people are motivated to seek out correctness in their attitudes, the antecedents to attitude correctness have been overlooked. Therefore, this study investigates the interaction effects between value-matching, attitudes and message strength on attitude correctness. It was predicted that only given strong messages (i.e. not weak), individuals with negative attitudes would have more attitude correctness when the message is value-mismatched than value-matched, whereas for individuals with positive attitudes, it is when the message is value- matched than value-mismatched. Participants rated their pre-message attitudes, pre-message and post-message attitude correctness towards coastal clean-up participation (CLN), and using biodegradable cutlery and containers (CUT). For each activity, a message that varied in message strength (strong or weak) and value-matching (matched with Universalism or mismatched with Achievement) was presented. As predicted, only when a message is strong, a value-mismatched message predicts greater attitude correctness than a value-matched message for those with negative attitudes towards both activities. A value-matched message predicts greater attitude correctness than a value-mismatched message solely for those with positive attitudes towards CLN, but not CUT. This implies that pro-environmental advocacies could incorporate value-matching to strengthen attitude correctness of those with positive attitudes towards certain pro-environmental activities, but not value-mismatching for those opposing them.