The Social Utility of Ambivalence: Being Ambivalent on Controversial Issues Is Recognized as Competence.

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State: Public
Version: Final published version
Serval ID
serval:BIB_6B7D467BE867
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
The Social Utility of Ambivalence: Being Ambivalent on Controversial Issues Is Recognized as Competence.
Journal
Frontiers in psychology
Author(s)
Pillaud V., Cavazza N., Butera F.
ISSN
1664-1078 (Print)
ISSN-L
1664-1078
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2018
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
9
Pages
961
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article
Publication Status: epublish
Abstract
Research on attitudinal ambivalence is flourishing, but no research has studied how others perceive its expression. We tested the hypothesis that the expression of attitudinal ambivalence could be positively valued if it signals careful consideration of an issue. More specifically, ambivalence should be judged higher on social utility (competence) but not on social desirability (warmth), compared to clear-cut attitudes. This should be the case for controversial (vs. consensual) issues, where ambivalence can signal some competence. The participants in four experiments indeed evaluated ambivalence higher on a measure of social utility, compared to clear-cut (pro-normative and counter-normative) attitudes, when the attitude objects were controversial; they judged pro-normative attitudes higher for both social utility and social desirability when the attitude objects were consensual. Attitudinal ambivalence can therefore be positively valued, as it is perceived as competence when the expression of criticism is socially accepted.
Keywords
ambivalence, attitudes, controversy, judgment, social value, warmth and competence
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
14/06/2018 10:05
Last modification date
20/08/2019 14:25
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