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The Associative/Propositional Duality in the Representation

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The Associative/Propositional Duality in the Representation ATTITUDES 1 The Associative-Propositional Duality in the Representation, Formation, and Expression of Attitudes Bertram Gawronski University of Texas at Austin Skylar M. Brannon University of Texas at Austin Galen V. Bodenhausen Northwestern University One of the most significant developments in the distinct principles of information processing and history of social psychology has been the emergence of behavior determination. The reflective system is dual-process theories (for reviews, see Gawronski & assumed to influence behavior through reasoned Creighton, 2013; Sherman, Gawronski, & Trope, decisions that are based on beliefs about facts and 2014). The central assumption underlying these values. In contrast, the impulsive system is assumed to theories is that judgments and behavior are the product elicit spontaneous tendencies of approach and of two qualitatively distinct mental processes, one of avoidance through the spread of activation within which operates in an automatic fashion, while the other associative networks. Although the RIM shares many operates in a controlled fashion. This idea also had a assumptions with Smith and DeCoster’s (2000) major impact on attitude research, which has been framework, the two theories differ in their emphasis of guided by dual-process theories since their first central characteristics of the proposed systems. appearance in the field. For example, the MODE model Whereas Smith and DeCoster’s theory expands on provided valuable insights into two distinct pathways connectionist models of learning and memory that by which attitudes guide behavior (Fazio, 1990); the distinguish between the incremental formation of elaboration-likelihood model (ELM) integrated a wide associations and the rapid learning of inferential rules range of disparate findings by distinguishing between (McClelland, McNaughton, & O’Reilly, 1995), Strack central and peripheral routes to attitude change (Petty and Deutsch’s theory emphasizes the interactive roles & Cacioppo, 1986); and the heuristic-systematic model of associative and propositional processes in the (HSM) illuminated the interplay of heuristic and determination of human behavior. Since the publication systematic processes underlying the effects of of Strack and Deutsch’s seminal article, the associative- persuasive messages (Chaiken, Liberman, & Eagly, propositional duality has had a major impact on attitude 1989). research, including our own work under the umbrella of Integrating these and various other dual-process the associative-propositional evaluation (APE) model theories within a single unifying framework, Smith and (Gawronski & Bodenhausen, 2006, 2011). DeCoster (2000) argued that the proposed dualities can Although attitude research guided by the be understood in terms of two mental systems with associative-propositional duality has led to many distinct functional properties. One system, described as invaluable insights, it has also been the target of associative, is assumed to capture observed regularities criticism. The most prominent critique is that the through the slow, incremental formation of associations observed phenomena can be explained by single- on the basis of feature similarity and spatio-temporal process propositional accounts without invoking any contiguity. The other system, described as rule-based, reference to the notion of associative processing (e.g., draws on symbolically represented rules that can be De Houwer, 2009, 2014; Kruglanski & Gigerenzer, learned rapidly on the basis of very few experiences. 2011; Kruglanski & Thompson, 1999; Mitchell, De Smith and DeCoster’s integration of various domain- Houwer, & Lovibond, 2009). In the current chapter, we specific dual-process theories provided the basis for the address this criticism with an emphasis on the different development of generalized dual-process theories that meanings of the associative-propositional duality in the aim to identify basic principles of information attitudes literature. Our main argument is that the processing and their implications for human behavior. associative-propositional duality has been used One of the most influential examples of such interchangeably to refer to three different aspects of generalized dual-process theories is Strack and attitudes: (1) the nature of stored evaluative Deutsch’s (2004) reflective-impulsive model (RIM). representations in long-term memory, (2) the processes According to the RIM, human behavior is guided by by which evaluative representations are formed, and (3) two interacting systems that are characterized by the processes involved in the behavioral expression of To appear in: R. Deutsch, B. Gawronski, & W. Hofmann (Eds.). Reflective and Impulsive Determinants of Human Behavior. New York: Psychology Press. ATTITUDES 2 stored evaluative representations. Drawing on a Associations can be understood as dormant links conceptual analysis of the three aspects, we argue that between nodes that constrain the spread of activation some disagreements between dual-process and single- within associative networks. Activated patterns of process theorists involve genuine empirical issues, associations, in turn, are assumed to provide the basis whereas others are the product of differing terminology for momentarily constructed propositions about states and mischaracterizations of the dual-process view. On of affairs. From this perspective, any proposition is the basis of our analysis, we conclude that the based on patterns of activated associations; there is no associative-propositional distinction is (1) theoretically association-independent storage of propositional implausible for the nature of evaluative representations, statements in a different part of long-term memory. (2) empirically supported for the formation of A second feature that is often used to distinguish evaluative representations, and (3) conceptually between associations and propositions is that warranted for the behavioral expression of evaluative propositions describe how two (or more) concepts are representations. related. This capacity is claimed to be absent in Nature of Evaluative Representations associations, which capture the mere fact that two (or more) concepts are related (De Houwer, 2009). In the context of evaluative representations, the According to this view, a simple associative link associative-propositional duality has sometimes been between A and B does not provide any information on used to refer to associations and propositions as distinct whether A causes or prevents B, or whether A likes or knowledge structures in long-term memory. dislikes B. This argument is particularly important for Theoretically, associations are mental links between attitude research, because the nature of the relation nodes that may differ in terms of their relative strength; between objects and events can have different propositions are mentally represented statements about implications for the evaluation of an attitude object. For states of affairs that may be deemed accurate or example, an object that prevents positive outcomes is inaccurate. According to this conceptualization, likely perceived negatively despite the association with associations and propositions differ in two fundamental something good, and being disliked by a dislikeable ways (De Houwer, 2009). First, whereas propositions person may be perceived as something good despite the have a subjective truth value in the sense that they may association with something bad (Heider, 1958). There be deemed accurate or inaccurate, associations are is no doubt that humans have the capacity to understand neither true nor false. Second, it has been argued that these differences, which has led proponents of propositions go beyond mere associations by specifying propositional accounts to reject the idea of associations the manner in which concepts are related (e.g., A is a as a basis for stored knowledge (e.g., De Houwer, 2009; cause of B vs. A is an effect of B). We argue that either Mandelbaum, 2015). of these characteristics provides a weak basis for duality We argue that this rejection is based on a very claims at the level of stored knowledge structures in narrow interpretation of associative representations that long-term memory. reduces them to primitive links between two concept Although some theorists assume that people can nodes. After all, multi-layer connectionist models have two distinct attitudes toward the same object involving both excitatory and inhibitory links are stored in memory (e.g., Greenwald & Banaji, 1995; perfectly able to represent complex relations between Wilson, Lindsey, & Schooler, 2000), we argue that a objects and events (e.g., McClelland et al., 1995). Such duality account based on the distinction between models often include a hierarchical structure, in that associations and propositions as two independent activated concepts at higher levels specify the relation memory structures is theoretically implausible. Such an between activated concepts at lower levels. Mental account would imply that propositional statements representations of this kind could be described as about states of affairs are stored in a manner that does propositional, because they capture relational not involve any kind of associative links. Counter to this information. Alternatively, they could be described as idea, most theories that are based on the associative- associative, because they are based on associative links propositional duality do not assume two distinct between nodes. From this perspective,
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