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Resistance to Change: Differential Effects of Favourable and Unfavourable Initial Communications *
Author(s) -
BEIGEL ASTRID
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
british journal of social and clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.479
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8260
pISSN - 0007-1293
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8260.1973.tb00861.x
Subject(s) - interpersonal communication , psychology , differential (mechanical device) , resistance (ecology) , phenomenon , differential effects , interval (graph theory) , social psychology , interpersonal relationship , developmental psychology , medicine , mathematics , physics , ecology , quantum mechanics , biology , thermodynamics , combinatorics
This study investigated the differential resistance to change of initially favourable and unfavourable impressions when counter‐communications are given. The results support the hypothesis that unfavourable initial impressions are more resistant to change than favourable initial impressions over a 10‐day interval, though the difference is not apparent immediately following the counter‐communication. These findings are discussed with respect to their implications for interpersonal and social change and the need for the development of a comprehensive theory to account for the empirically observed phenomenon.