Psychological discrepancy in message-induced belief change: Empirical evidence regarding four competing models

ABSTRACT Message discrepancy is the difference between the position of an advocated belief in a message and the position of a message receiver’s initial belief, and psychological discrepancy is how the message’s discrepancy is perceived by the receiver. The present study tested Fink et al.’s [(1983). Positional discrepancy, psychological discrepancy, and attitude change: Experimental tests of some mathematical models. Communication Monographs, 50(4), 413–430] psychological discrepancy model plus three other models to determine whether psychological discrepancy affects the weight of a message, the scale value of the message, neither, or both. These models were tested in an experiment that manipulated psychological discrepancy with a 3 (high vs. moderate vs. low message scale value) × 3 (wide vs. moderate vs. narrow perspective) between-subjects design (N = 448). The original Fink et al. model was the most supported. The results help explain how psychological processes bring about belief change.