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Self-Guide Framing and Persuasion: Responsibly Increasing Message Processing to Ideal Levels

Richard E. Petty

Ohio State University

The current research examines the effect that framing persuasive messages in terms of self-guides (ideal vs. ought) has on the attitudes and cognitive responses of individuals with chronic ideal versus ought self-guides. The strength of participants’ ideal and ought self-guides and the magnitude of participants’ ideal and ought self-discrepancies were measured using a computerized reaction time program. One week later, participants read a persuasive message about a fictional breakfast product, framed in terms of either ideals or oughts. Matching framing to stronger self-guide led to enhanced message processing activity, especially among individuals who were low in need for cognition. Individuals who read messages framed to match their stronger self-guides paid more attention to argument quality, as reflected in their attitudes and cognitive responses. Messages with self-guide framing that matched individuals’ stronger self-discrepancies did not have this effect on processing.

Key Words: attitudes • persuasion • self-guide • self-discrepancy • attitude change

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