The role of action in attitude change.

T he relationship of action to attitude change has been a central and recurrent theme ill my work ever since my doctoral dissertation (Kelman, 1953). I have written several theoretical papers on this issue over the years (Kelman, 1¢2a, 1974a, I974b, 1978), and during the 19605 several colleagues and I were engaged in an experimental pflJgram on the relationship of discrepant action and attitude change. 1 Some of the results of this progwm aIT' described ill Kelman and Baron (1974), but most of the experiments are still unpublished." The relationship between action and attitude change has also entered importantly into my work in various applied contexts. induding psychotherapy (Kelman, 11}63), international exchange (Kelman, J962b, 1975), and conflict resolution (Kelman, [972; Kelman & Cohen, 1979), I therefore welcome the opportunity, provided by the Nebraska Symposium, to draw together some of my ideas in thi:-; area and to distill some of the generalizations that have emerged from my work. I am particularly intrigued with noting some of the continuities and changes in my Ihinking over the years, as I have moved back and forth between experimental and applied work, It is