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Intuition for the intuitive : On the interplay between lay conceptions of intuition and the influence of intuition appeals in persuasion
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Abstract(s)
Intuição – outrora vista como uma limitação do raciocínio humano – é hoje reconhecida
pelas suas qualidades tanto em contextos populares como na investigação científica. Esta
tendência é refletida pelo uso de apelos à intuição em contextos persuasivos. O uso repetido
destes apelos sugere a sua eficácia enquanto variável persuasiva. No entanto, nenhuma
investigação sistemática examinou se, quando ou para quem estes apelos à intuição influenciam
as atitudes. O objetivo desta tese foi, assim, o de estudar estas questões, introduzindo o estudo
da intuição na persuasão. Fê-lo, focando a interação entre conceções leigas de intuição e a
influência destes apelos enquanto variável persuasiva.
Usando o Elaboration Likelihood Model como modelo teórico, foi proposto que esta
influência ocorre em função do matching entre características da mensagem, relacionadas com
intuição, e do recetor da mensagem, especificamente, o quão válido este perceciona intuição.
Para testar esta hipótese, foi necessário responder a questões conceptuais e metodológicas
relacionadas com a forma como intuição é concebida e como aceder à sua validade percebida.
A resposta empírica a estas questões foi integrada em quatro capítulos empíricos.
Num primeiro conjunto de estudos, conceções leigas de intuição e análise foram
avaliadas através de uma abordagem de protótipos. O conhecimento destas conceções leigas,
através da identificação dos seus traços mais centrais (tendo também em consideração a
influência dos estilos cognitivos), forneceu os meios para operacionalizar intuição e análise em
estudos subsequentes, numa forma que refletiu como a pessoa leiga perceciona os dois
conceitos.
O segundo conjunto de estudos propôs-se a compreender as preferências explícitas por
intuição e análise para decisões diferindo em complexidade, examinando a influência dos
estilos cognitivos nestas preferências e o papel de teorias leigas de validade de intuição e análise
na explicação destas preferências. Os resultados sugeriram que embora as pessoas exibam
preferências intuitivas e analíticas prévias, estas são influenciadas pelo contexto.
Adicionalmente, teorias leigas de validade de intuição e análise mediaram os efeitos exercidos
pelos estilos cognitivos nas preferências explícitas (sendo este efeito mais evidente para
decisões complexas).
Reconhecendo a importância destas teorias leigas de validade, o terceiro conjunto de
estudos focou-se em desenvolver e validar duas medidas de diferenças individuais na validade
percebida de intuição e análise.
No quarto conjunto de estudos, testaram-se os efeitos de matching entre apelos à
intuição e análise (operacionalizados através dos traços centrais obtidos) e a validade percebida
de intuição e análise nos recetores da mensagem (avaliada através das medidas desenvolvidas),
utilizando como contexto persuasivo um anúncio para uma nova marca de automóveis (um
produto complexo). Resultados evidenciaram efeitos de matching nos quais atitudes mais
favoráveis face ao anúncio com apelos intuitivos e analíticos foram observados entre recetores
com níveis mais elevados de validade percebida de intuição e análise, respetivamente. Este
efeito ocorreu através de um processo relativamente central, no qual o matching influenciou as
atitudes através da geração de pensamentos favoráveis.
No geral, esta tese fornece uma abordagem sistemática ao estudo da intuição na
persuasão, fornecendo evidência preliminar de efeitos de matching entre apelos à intuição e
teorias leigas sobre intuição.
Intuition – once seen as a limitation of human reasoning – is nowadays acknowledged for its strengths in both popular contexts and scientific research. Such a trend has spread to the use of intuition appeals in persuasion contexts. The repeated use of intuition appeals would suggest its effectiveness as a persuasion variable. However, no systematic work has examined whether, when or for whom intuition appeals influence attitudes. The goal of this work was to empirically address these questions and introduce the study of intuition in persuasion, by focusing on the interplay between lay conceptions of intuition and the influence of intuition appeals as a persuasion variable. Using the Elaboration Likelihood Model as a theoretical framework, it was hypothesized that such influence should occur as a function of the matching between message intuitive features and message recipients’ characteristics, specifically, how these perceive validity in intuition. To test this hypothesis, several empirical questions were first tackled, related with how intuition is conceived by the lay person and how to assess its perceived validity. The answer to these questions was integrated into four empirical chapters. In a first set of studies, lay conceptions of intuition and analysis were assessed through a prototype approach. The knowledge of these lay conceptions, through the identification of their most central features (while also accounting for the influence of cognitive styles), provided the means to successfully operationalize intuition and analysis in following studies, in a way that reflected how the lay person perceives the two concepts. The second set of studies aimed at understanding people’s explicit preferences for intuition and analysis across decision contexts differing in complexity, examining the influence of cognitive styles in such preferences as well as the role of naïve theories of validity of intuition and analysis in explaining such preferences. Results suggested that although individuals display a priori intuitive and analytic preferences, these are likely context-dependent. Additionally, naïve theories of validity mediated the effects of cognitive styles on explicit preferences (specially, for complex decisions). Recognizing the importance of these naïve theories, the third set of studies focused on developing and validating two measures assessing individual differences in perceived validity of intuition and analysis. Lastly, the fourth set of studies aimed at testing the matching effects between intuition and analysis appeals (operationalized through the central features obtained) and message recipients’ perceived validity of intuition and analysis (as measured through the developed measures), using an advertisement for a new car brand (a complex product) as a persuasion context. Results evidenced matching effects whereby more favorable attitudes towards an advertisement with intuition and analysis appeals were observed among recipients with higher levels of perceived validity of intuition and analysis, respectively. Importantly, this effect occurred through a relatively elaborative process, in which the matching positively influenced attitudes via a generation of favorable thoughts. In sum, this thesis provides a systematic approach to the study of intuition in persuasion, and its main findings provide the first evidence for matching effects for intuition appeals and individuals’ naïve theories of intuition in persuasion.
Intuition – once seen as a limitation of human reasoning – is nowadays acknowledged for its strengths in both popular contexts and scientific research. Such a trend has spread to the use of intuition appeals in persuasion contexts. The repeated use of intuition appeals would suggest its effectiveness as a persuasion variable. However, no systematic work has examined whether, when or for whom intuition appeals influence attitudes. The goal of this work was to empirically address these questions and introduce the study of intuition in persuasion, by focusing on the interplay between lay conceptions of intuition and the influence of intuition appeals as a persuasion variable. Using the Elaboration Likelihood Model as a theoretical framework, it was hypothesized that such influence should occur as a function of the matching between message intuitive features and message recipients’ characteristics, specifically, how these perceive validity in intuition. To test this hypothesis, several empirical questions were first tackled, related with how intuition is conceived by the lay person and how to assess its perceived validity. The answer to these questions was integrated into four empirical chapters. In a first set of studies, lay conceptions of intuition and analysis were assessed through a prototype approach. The knowledge of these lay conceptions, through the identification of their most central features (while also accounting for the influence of cognitive styles), provided the means to successfully operationalize intuition and analysis in following studies, in a way that reflected how the lay person perceives the two concepts. The second set of studies aimed at understanding people’s explicit preferences for intuition and analysis across decision contexts differing in complexity, examining the influence of cognitive styles in such preferences as well as the role of naïve theories of validity of intuition and analysis in explaining such preferences. Results suggested that although individuals display a priori intuitive and analytic preferences, these are likely context-dependent. Additionally, naïve theories of validity mediated the effects of cognitive styles on explicit preferences (specially, for complex decisions). Recognizing the importance of these naïve theories, the third set of studies focused on developing and validating two measures assessing individual differences in perceived validity of intuition and analysis. Lastly, the fourth set of studies aimed at testing the matching effects between intuition and analysis appeals (operationalized through the central features obtained) and message recipients’ perceived validity of intuition and analysis (as measured through the developed measures), using an advertisement for a new car brand (a complex product) as a persuasion context. Results evidenced matching effects whereby more favorable attitudes towards an advertisement with intuition and analysis appeals were observed among recipients with higher levels of perceived validity of intuition and analysis, respectively. Importantly, this effect occurred through a relatively elaborative process, in which the matching positively influenced attitudes via a generation of favorable thoughts. In sum, this thesis provides a systematic approach to the study of intuition in persuasion, and its main findings provide the first evidence for matching effects for intuition appeals and individuals’ naïve theories of intuition in persuasion.
Description
Tese apresentada para cumprimento dos requisitos
necessários à obtenção do grau de Doutor em
Psicologia na área de especialização de Psicologia
Social apresentada no ISPA - Instituto Universitário no ano de
2021.
Keywords
Intuição Conceções leigas Persuasão Matching Intuition Lay Conceptions Persuasion