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Journal of Language and Social Psychology
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Rhetorical Question Use and Resistance to Persuasion: An Attitude Strength Analysis

Kevin L. Blankenship

Purdue University, klblank{at}psych.purdue.edu

Traci Y. Craig

University of Idaho

Although previous research has provided indirect evidence that rhetorical questions can increase attitudinal resistance, what little work that was done was not specifically designed to examine the issue. Current models of attitude change suggest that rhetorical questions can increase persuasion and message processing, creating a relatively strong, resistant attitude. These processing and resistance effects in turn may be mediated by a property of attitude strength such as participants’ cognitive responses. In Study 1, placing rhetorical questions in a message increased participants’ message processing and counterargument generation relative to a control message. In addition, participants’ attitudes were mediated by participants’ cognitive responses. Study 2 found that a message containing rhetorical questions increased participants’ attitudinal resistance to an attacking message more than a control message, and the resistance effects were related to participants’ cognitive responses. These results provide the first direct evidence for the resistance effects of rhetorical question use and for mediators.

Key Words: rhetorical questions • persuasion • resistance • attitude strength

Journal of Language and Social Psychology, Vol. 25, No. 2, 111-128 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/0261927X06286380
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[Abstract] [PDF]