Question

Horowitz (1969) conducted an experiment testing the impact of voluntary participation on attitude change. Based on his findings, we could conclude that:

a) Voluntary participation has no impact on attitude change
b) Voluntary participation leads to greater attitude change
c) The impact of voluntary participation depends on the research design
d) The impact of voluntary participation is unclear

Answer 1

Horowitz's experiment suggests that voluntary participation leads to greater attitude change, aligning with the justification of effort effect and the Yale attitude change approach.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the experiment conducted by Horowitz (1969), we could conclude that voluntary participation leads to greater attitude change. This is supported by related research in social psychology, such as the justification of effort effect, where individuals tend to value things more when they put forth more effort to achieve them. The theory, underscored by the famous experiment of Aronson and Mills (1959), suggests that engaging in a difficult initiation process can lead individuals to rate a group more favorably due to the effort they have invested. The Yale attitude change approach, developed through research by Carl Hovland, also indicates that various factors including the effort to participate can influence attitude change. Additionally, it is important to consider that the methodological design of a study can influence its outcomes, and when observations regarding attitude change are noted, the results can dramatically reflect the impact of voluntary participation.