PSYCHOLOGY MASTER'S THESIS ABSTRACT

Michael Douglas

MA-Research
August 1997

Cognitive Versus Affective Hypocrisy Induction and Routes to Persuasion Regarding Condom Use

    Hypocrisy awareness was combined with the elaboration likelihood model to study college student commitment to future condom use.  It was hypothesized that inducing hypocrisy awareness affectively, combined with the peripheral route to persuasion, would yield the greatest commitment, and that inducing hypocrisy awareness cognitively, combined with the central route to persuasion, would yield the second greatest commitment.  In a 2 X 2 experimental design, introductory male psychology students (N = 111) were randomly assigned to type of hypocrisy induction (cognitive or affective) crossed with routes to persuasion (central or peripheral).  Commitment to future condom use was assessed by self-report of intentions and a behavioral measure.  Results did not support the hypotheses; no differences were found as a function of mode of hypocrisy induction or route to persuasion, and there were no significant interactions.

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