Attitude extremity, consensus and diagnosticity

Studied the effects of attitude extremity on perceived consensus and willingness to ascribe trait terms to others with either pro- or antinuclear attitudes. 611 Ss rated their attitudes toward nuclear energy on a 5-point scale. Results show that attitude extremity affected consensus estimates. Trait attributions revealed a clear effect for valence, especially for extreme groups. Ss with extreme attitudes also ascribed more traits to both pro- and anti-others than Ss with relatively moderate attitudes.