About the Importance of Arguments, or: Order Effects and Conversational Rules

Thomas Gschwend () and Herbert Bless ()
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Thomas Gschwend: Sonderforschungsbereich 504, Postal: L 13, 15, D-68131 Mannheim
Herbert Bless: Mikrosoziologie und Sozialpsychologie Universität Mannheim, Postal: Seminargebäude A 5 D-68131 Mannheim

No 01-27, Sonderforschungsbereich 504 Publications from Sonderforschungsbereich 504, Universität Mannheim, Sonderforschungsbereich 504, University of Mannheim

Abstract: This paper investigates order effects in one-sided and two-sided communications. While most theorizing attributes both primacy and recency effects to cognitive processes (e.g., attention decrement), we propose that, in addition, communicative aspects play a central role in the emergence of order effects. We postulate that individuals - drawing on conversational norms - hold expectations about the order in which arguments are presented. Depending on these expectations, arguments presented first or last will be highly influential. The results of four experiments indicate that arguments were most influential when presented at a position where participants expected the most important arguments. Significantly, these effects were eliminated when participants' expectations were not applicable.

Pages: 45 pages
Date: 2001-05-08
Note: Financial support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, SFB 504, at the University of Mannheim, is gratefully acknowledged.
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