Differentiated evaluation of counter-conditioned stimuli as a function of right-wing authoritarianism

Amélie Bret (1, 2) , Brice Beffara Bret (1) , Adrien Mierop (3) , Martial Mermillod (2)

1 LPPL - Laboratoire de Psychologie des Pays de la Loire
2 LPNC - Laboratoire de Psychologie et NeuroCognition
3 UCL - Université Catholique de Louvain = Catholic University of Louvain

Right Wing Authoritarianism (i.e., RWA) is associated with enhanced conservatism and social prejudice. Because research linking RWA to attitudes is largely correlational (i.e., it provides control for neither RWA nor attitude learning), it is not clear how RWA relates to attitude learning dynamics. We addressed this question in 11 evaluative conditioning experiments that ensured rigorous control of the affective learning setting. Results from two integrative data analyses suggest that (i) individuals scoring higher in RWA show a stronger acquisition of positive attitudes, and that (ii) the residuals of this stronger acquisition remain even after exposure to counterattitudinal information. Implications of these findings for research on RWA and its link to social prejudice are discussed.

Mots clés: authoritarianism; attitude; change; evaluative counter-conditioning

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]; Sciences cognitives; Sciences de l'Homme et Société; Psychologie; Psychologie et comportements; Sciences cognitives; Psychologie

Amélie Bret, Brice Beffara Bret, Adrien Mierop, Martial Mermillod. Differentiated evaluation of counter-conditioned stimuli as a function of right-wing authoritarianism. Social Psychological Bulletin, 2021, 16, ⟨10.32872/spb.6593⟩. ⟨hal-03312622⟩