Abstract

The present study was designed to testify the qualitative difference between children and adults on reference dimensions in forming social attitude(School uniform vs. Private clothes about 'Clothes in School'). In experiment I, the difference between children and adults on belief structure about social objects was observed. That is, children have different reference dimension as their attitude differ. Pro-school uniforms form their attitude based on the control dimension [not control(-) control(+)], whereas pro-private clothes on the freedom dimension [not free(-)-free(+)]. Therefore they are set up in opposition to school uniform with private clothes on evaluative dimension[negative(-) positive(+)]. But adults have not different reference dimension as their attitude differ. They are set up in oppositision to school uniform with private clothes on descriptive dimension [control(P)-freedom(A)] That is, they judge school uniform to have control but not freedom, and private clothe; to have freedom but not control. In experiment II, the effects of the difference between children and adults of the reference dimensions on attitude formation were investigated.