People often form attitudes based on a mixture of positive and negative information. This can result in mixed evaluative reactions that are associated with feeling conflicted and undecided (i.e., felt ambivalence). In the present research, we examined whether expectations of receiving mixed information could dampen felt ambivalence compared to situations where the mixed information was instead unexpected. In six experiments, expectancies of receiving mixed information-either explicitly provided or implied via patterns of behavior-led people to feel less ambivalent about a target person who had engaged in mixed social behaviors. Expectations of mixed information reduced felt ambivalence to receipt of such information in comparison to having no explicit expectancies (Studies 1-3, 5-6), negative expectancies (Study 2), positive expectancies (Study 3), and compared with expectancies formed merely on the basis of behavioral patterns (Study 4). The extent to which people felt that their expectancies of mixed information regarding the target were confirmed (vs. disconfirmed) significantly accounted for the reductions in felt ambivalence. Finally, lower felt ambivalence via manipulated expectations accounted for reduced decision time in a workplace simulation about recommending promotion or termination of an employee (Study 6). Overall, these findings bridge the extensive literatures in attitudes, social judgment, and expectations, showing that expecting mixed information can lead to reductions in felt ambivalence that have consequences for behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

中文翻译：

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通过期望抑制影响：矛盾心理的情况。

人们经常根据正面和负面信息的混合形成态度。这可能导致与感觉冲突和犹豫不决（即感觉矛盾心理）相关的混合评价反应。在本研究中，我们检验了接收混合信息的期望是否可以抑制与混合信息相反的情况相比的矛盾心理。在六个实验中，接收混合信息的期望——无论是通过行为模式明确提供还是暗示——导致人们对从事混合社会行为的目标人感到不那么矛盾。与没有明确的期望（研究 1-3、5-6）、负期望（研究 2）、正期望（研究 3）相比，对混合信息的期望减少了对接收此类信息的矛盾心理，并与仅基于行为模式形成的预期进行比较（研究 4）。人们认为他们对有关目标的混合信息的期望得到确认（相对于未确认）的程度显着解释了感觉矛盾心理的减少。最后，通过被操纵的期望降低了矛盾情绪，这导致在工作场所模拟中关于推荐晋升或解雇员工的决策时间减少（研究 6）。总体而言，这些发现弥合了态度、社会判断和期望方面的广泛文献，表明期望混合信息可以减少对行为产生影响的矛盾情绪。（PsycInfo 数据库记录 (c) 2022 APA，保留所有权利）。