Abstract:

Ambivalent attitudes not only affect information search, attitude formation and decision-making behavior, but also affect self-evaluation after decision-making. The present research constructed a model of the relationship between ambivalent attitudes and post-decision self-evaluation based on the mediating effect of uncertainty and the moderating effect of decision-making difficulty level and outcome valence. Three experiments were designed to manipulate ambivalent attitudes through conflict situations including the choice of a university and employment enterprises. SPSS 20.0 software was used to analyze the data, and we found that ambivalent attitudes had a positive effect on self-evaluation after decision-making, and that decision-making difficulty level and outcome valence moderated the mediating effect of uncertainty on the relationship between ambivalent attitudes and self-evaluation after decision-making. Ambivalent attitudes and levels of decision-making difficulty had an effect on uncertainty, uncertainty and outcome valence had an effect on self-evaluation after decision-making, and ambivalent attitude and the difficult level of decision-making had conflicting dual effects on self-evaluation after the decision-making as a result of the separation effect of uncertainty. When negative results were obtained, compared to individuals with low decision-making difficulty level, ambivalent attitudes of those with high decision-making difficulty level had a positive effect on self-evaluation after decision-making through uncertainty; when positive results were obtained, compared to individuals with high decision-making difficulty level, ambivalent attitudes of individuals with low decision-making difficulty level had a positive effect on self-evaluation after decision-making through uncertainty.

Key words: ambivalent attitudes, outcome valence, decision difficulty, uncertainty, self-evaluation