The etiology of sound substitution defects

In this paper the authors argue that the salience of beliefs about an attitude object (their elicitability) is an independent dimension of persuasion theory. A revision of Fishbein's summation theory is offered to take this dimension into account and to expand the explanatory range of the theory to include and predict temporary effects. Experimental support for the revision is offered. The authors argue for further revision of the attitude construct as borrowed from psychology. Communication scholars should distinguish between changes in “attitudinal tendency” and changes in “manifest attitude.”