Preference Consistency and Preference Strength: Processing and Judgmental Issues.

Recent research in motivated reasoning has examined processing of information that is consistent or inconsistent with one's preferences. This paper extends the work by examining the micro-processes of the processing of such information. In addition, it examines the moderating impact of preference strength and argument quality on processing of and judgments associated with preference-consistent and preference-inconsistent information. Across 2 studies, evidence was obtained suggesting that preference-inconsistent information is processed in greater depth as well as in a more biased manner. Findings are also reported indicating that when preferences are weak, people are less resistant to changing their preferences, particularly when exposed to strong arguments accompanying preference-inconsistent information. Implications for comparative advertising in a consumer marketing context are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]