Value connotations, perspectives and self-perception.

Reports 2 studies in which Ss rated statements concerning the nonmedical use of drugs before rating their own attitude on the issue. In Study 1, 185 high school and 73 university students rated their attitude on 4 scales chosen to manipulate the value connotations of the response language, as well as a 5th scale labeled "extremely opposed to/extremely in favor of the nonmedical use of drugs." As predicted by accentuation theory, Ss were more prepared to describe their own position in evaluatively positive than negative terms; thus, pro-drug Ss gave more extreme self-ratings on a scale where the pro-drug end was positive and the anti-drug end was negative, whereas anti-drug Ss gave more extreme self-ratings on a scale where the pro-drug end was negative and the anti-drug end was positive. Overall, Ss gave more extreme self-ratings on a scale (EP) where both ends were positively labeled than on a scale (EN) where both ends were negatively labeled. Predictions of the variabl! e perspective model were not supported; manipulation of the range of statements presented for judgment (through exclusion of either extremely pro- or anti-drug statements) had no effect on self-rating. Study 2 generalized the findings of the 1st experiments. Self-ratings obtained from 48 female high school students were again more extreme on EP than on EN scales.