Information Integration Theory

Communication scholars and practitioners in public relations, marketing, consumer behavior, and public policy debates are interested in understanding attitude formation and change. To that end, information integration theory explains how information affects attitudes. “Information is the essence of the persuasion process,” noted Martin Fishbein and Icek Ajzen (1981, p. 339). Because of this reasoning, it has long been used to explain how people make decisions and therefore how such decisions can be influenced. It assumes that people are rational human beings and, based on their reasoning, are capable of making deliberate decisions about the information that is available to help make choices. Choices entail preferences and predispositions.

Beliefs are the building blocks of attitudes; combined they are the rationale for decision making, the essential theme of information integration theory. Beliefs about an object can be positive or negative, can be associated with varying levels of perceived credibility, and, once combined (the sum of positive and negative evaluations), determine attitude.

Theorists reason that in their attitude management all humans perform this kind of mental mathematics every day, all the time, if often unconsciously. One strength of this theory is that it can [Page 451]be expressed mathematically to understand and explain how attitudes serve to help humans make decisions.

Information integration explains how attitudes are made up of multiple components that can variously be in agreement or conflict. It argues that behavior results from a collinear interaction between an attitude that a specific action is good or bad and awareness of social pressures or norms favoring or disfavoring it (Heath & Bryant, 2000).

Information integration theory “suggests that people form attitudes that result from a blending of positives and negatives,” or mental calculations involving a complex of beliefs and evaluations (Heath & Bryant, 1992, p. 15). An individual holds beliefs about an object, with varying levels of perceived credibility that can lead to decisions that are positive (support an alternative) or negative (oppose or reject an alternative).

Information may form or change a person's attitude depending on the variables of valence (direction positive/negative) and weight (strong or weak). Valence relates to how information influences beliefs; information has positive valence if it supports an individual's beliefs or negative valence if it contradicts an individual's beliefs. Weight relates to how much information influences beliefs; information is assigned a higher weight if it is considered credible, likely to be true. This theoretic approach suggests that to change someone's attitude toward something, additional information from a source or sources with the most possible credibility must be provided. Norman H. Anderson (1968, 1974) described this process as “cognitive algebra.”

For example, suppose you are considering joining a professional organization. An acquaintance tells you that membership is expensive and time-consuming. Other colleagues tell you that the benefits of active involvement in the organization include professional development, networking, and opportunities for leadership and career recognition. You explore the organization's website and find that helpful publications and databases are available to members. Your supervisor encourages you to participate. You gained information about this topic from many sources, and all this information leads to your multiple beliefs about membership in the organization. The beliefs hold varying weights, and depending on your perception of credibility of each source of the information, the beliefs come together (the average of all of the component beliefs) to form your attitude. That attitude, because positive beliefs outweigh negative ones, predisposes you to join the organization.

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