Sensory deprivation, attitude change, and defense against persuasion.

Used frequent toothbrushing as the target attitude with 120 college students in a study with the following independent variables: (a) sensory deprivation or nonconfinement for 12 hrs before an inoculation message and before a counterattitudinal message, and (b) the kind of inoculation (refutational, supportive, or none). Results show that refutational inoculation was most effective, was recalled best, and led to reduced recall of the subsequent attack. Postinoculation tests reduced later persuasibility, and in the supportive inoculation condition led to a more extreme adherence to the S's original position. Sensory deprivation before the inoculation message increased belief instability; before the counterattitudinal message, it increased persuasibility. Sensory deprivation functions as a cognitive disorganizer, whose effects on persuasibility are probably mediated by impaired processing of complex information and consequent belief instability. (French summary) (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)