The science behind why you refuse to cave on certain beliefs

Some opinions, attitudes, and preferences seem to change or fluctuate as often as the weather. However, other beliefs are held onto for years, decades, or even the entirety of one’s life.

A new study just released by the Association for Psychological Science investigated this phenomenon and discovered that long-lasting opinions and attitudes are often based on feelings and emotions. If an opinion or perception is predicated on emotions, chances are it will stick with you for the long run.

Why we hold onto beliefs

Perhaps a few years ago you couldn’t stand the idea of wearing an all-black outfit, and now your closet is filled with shades of black and dark blue. Similarly, maybe there’s a local restaurant or takeout spot you loved when it first opened but nowadays you’d rather cook at home.

Life moves fast, and we all change along the way. But, we all also have certain attitudes and opinions that tend to stand the test of time. Some topics, whether that be subjects related to entertainment, leisure, food, or politics, people just aren’t willing to reconsider. So, what’s the driving force behind these differences? Why are some opinions so ingrained in us while others change regularly?

“We have known that encouraging people to think carefully and rationally can produce attitudes that change less in the future,” says co-lead study author Matthew Rocklage, a researcher with the University of Massachusetts, Boston. “Our research, however, shows that opinions based on people’s emotional reactions can be particularly long-lasting as well.”

To start, the research team surveyed over 1,000 volunteers on whether they believe that emotion-driven opinions are longer-lasting than attitudes based on facts and logic. Somewhat predictably, only 15% of survey respondents said emotion leads to stable opinions.

Then, a series of seven experiments were conducted involving over 20,000 people. While each experiment was slightly different, they all followed the same general approach. 

For instance, the first experiment was conducted just one day after Christmas. Participants were asked how they felt about the gifts they had received the day before and told to only use a provided list of adjectives. Those adjectives were either practical (“my gift was worthwhile”) or emotional (“my gift was delightful”).

After a month had passed, those same participants were given a follow-up survey about the gifts to see if their opinions had changed. Sure enough, the stronger an individual’s initial positive emotional reaction, the more likely they were to report the same opinion a month later.

Another experiment entailed participants reading one of two different stories about a fictional aquatic animal. One of those messages was just various “facts” about the animal, while the other was a much more personal, emotional account of a swimmer’s interactions with the animal. Again, those who read the emotional story showed much more consistent opinions about the fake animal over time.

“Emotionality is an unappreciated predictor of long-lasting attitudes,” adds co-lead study author Andrew Luttrell, a researcher at Ball State University. “These findings are important for understanding why some opinions are so difficult to change as well as how to create opinions that stick.”

The full study can be found here, published in Psychological Science.