cognitive response theory
a theory postulating that attitude change occurs primarily as a function of people’s evaluative responses to attitude-relevant information. Such responses include inferences generated about the information, assessments of its validity, and other evaluative reactions that may or may not be cognitive in nature (e.g., emotional responses). This theory holds that it is primarily the number and valence of these responses, rather than memory for the information itself, that determines the magnitude and duration of attitude change. See also message-learning approach.