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What are attitudinal systems in Irving Crespiās theory of public opinion?
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public opinion
Jacques Necker, print by Henri GrĆ©vedon after a painting by Louis-Joseph-SiffrĆØde Duplessis, 1822; in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
In his research on public opinion, Irving Crespi argued that the standard technical concept of an "attitude" was insufficiently complex to fully capture the nature of public opinion. To address this, he proposed the use of "attitudinal systems" to describe the multifaceted way individuals process and respond to issues.1
According to Crespi, an attitudinal system is defined by the combined development and interaction of four distinct sets of phenomena:1
- Values and interests: The fundamental beliefs and personal stakes that guide an individual's perspective.1
- Knowledge and beliefs: The information and convictions an individual holds regarding a specific subject.1
- Feelings: The emotional responses associated with those beliefs and values.1
- Behavioral intentions: The conscious inclinations or predispositions to act in certain ways based on the preceding factors.1
By framing attitudes as systems rather than isolated units, Crespi emphasized that public opinion is inherently multidimensional, interactive, and subject to continuous change.12