Abstract

Current research on attitudes and attitude change during the last decade (1985-1994) was reviewed. Prominent characteristics of the recent resurgence of attitude research were classified into six categories : (1)the interface with social cognition research, (2)recognition of the importance of ego-involvement concept, (3)the revival of motivational and functional approaches, (4)efforts for the improvement of behavior predictions based on attitudes, (5)increase of interests in the neglected area of research(e.g., resistance to attitude change, persistence of changed attitudes, effects of affective factors on attitude change), and (6)extended practical applications and refined methods of analyses. The most salient characteristic of current attitude research seems to be the balance between cognitive and motivational/affective approaches as well as their intertwinement with each other in attitude theories and research. New theories on attitudes and persuasion are basically in line with traditional theories but assume a more active message recipient than before, so that more elaborated theories are recently developed which can cover the effects of recipients' prior knowledge and affects. Strongly-held attitudes have been more and more important in current attitude research with relation to the concept of ego-involvement, because highly-involved attitudes are less likely to change and more useful to predict behavior.