Accounting for consistency and change in responses to influence attempts: An examination of preference for consistency

The long-standing question of individual differences’ impact in influence research was addressed by examining the possibility that an individual’s level of Preference for Consistency (PFC) may account for some of the variability. Consistent with predictions, high and low PFC individuals did not differ in susceptibility to influence attempts when they did not hold an initial position on an issue. However, when an initial position was stated, high PFC individuals altered their position (from initial to final) significantly more than low PFC individuals, indicating that PFC may moderate the effects of influence. Discussion focuses on the salience of commitments made by participants as explanations for the pattern of results, and the implications of PFC for psychological research.