Forming Judgement of Attitude Certainty, Intensity, and Importance: the Role of Subjective Experiences

This study examined the impact of subjective experiences on reports of attitude certainty, intensity, & importance. Participants with moderate or extreme attitudes toward doctor-assisted suicide generated 3 (easy) & 7 (hard) argument that either supported or countered their opinion toward the issue prior to indicating the strength of their attitude. Participants with moderate attitudes rated their opinions as more intense, personally important, & held with greater certainty when they had generated either a small number of supporting arguments or a large number of opposing arguments. (41 refs)