Deliberation and Attitude Change - 1
Running head: DELIBERATION AND ATTITUDE CHANGE
Abstract
Previous research has found that face-to-face deliberation can result in aggregate
shifts in participants’ political views. What is less well known is how such attitude
changes interrelate with one another and vary depending on individual attributes and the
nature of a group’s deliberation. The present study extends prior research on these
subjects by exploring the relationship between participant ideology and attitude change in
small, face-to-face groups. To test a set of hypotheses and research questions, 57 zero-
history experimental groups discussed three different public problems for 30-60 minutes,
and each participant completed pre- and post-discussion questionnaires. Results showed
that participant ideology had a clear association with changes on specific discussion-
related issues, but participants from every ideological group experienced increased
differentiation of ideologically distinct attitudes. It was also found that group-level shifts
in opinion were related to self-reported democratic deliberation, though not to observer
ratings of deliberation. The conclusion discusses these and other findings in relation to
future research and programs designed to promote public deliberation.