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Dogmatism represents an individual difference in cognitive style characterized by closed-mindedness. The concept of dogmatism has received a great deal of research attention in such topics as information selection, information processing, message selection, and source-message distinction. Previous dogmatism scales, however, have psychometric problems, and item wordings have become outdated. The present study updates the scale items based on a simplified conceptualization of dogmatism and assesses the validity of the new scale. Factor analyses and item analyses were employed to assess the unidimensionality of the scale. Two validation studies (N = 165 for study 1; N = 175 for study 2) were conducted. Both studies provided evidence consistent with construct validity. The updated dogmatism correlated positively with dominance and submission and negatively with perspective-taking and empathic concern. The predictive validity of the scale was only partially consistent with the data. Keywords: Closed-mindedness; Cognitive Style; Construct Validity; Dogmatism; Scale Construction

Individuals high and low in dogmatism read a counterattitudinal message from either an expert or a nonexpert source who supported his position with either strong or weak arguments. Low-dogmatic individuals tended to be persuaded by the strength of the arguments regardless of the source. High-dogmatic individuals were persuaded by the strength of the arguments when the source was nonexpert but were equally persuaded by strong and weak arguments when the source was expert. Cognitive response data suggested that low-dogmatic individuals may have been systematically processing the message in both source conditions but high-dogmatic individuals may have been doing so only in the nonexpert condition. Results are discussed in terms of the psychological needs that source factors can fulfill for message recipients.

ABSTRACT. The authors surveyed by telephone a random sample of voters in the 1996 presidential election from the Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area of Muncie, IN ('Middletown'; R. Lynd & H. [...]

New dogmas command belief because: 1) faith in Christ embraces faith in church teaching; 2) there is no higher norm against which to judge dogma; 3) partiality, a human characteristic, cannot discredit new dogma a priori.