Need for cognition is the tendency for an individual to ❌ effortful cognitive activity. Need for affect is the tendency for an individual to see emotions as desirable and feel a need to ❌. It is assumed that an affect-based message is more persuasive among individuals ❌ and ❌, whereas a cognition-based message was more persuasive among individuals ❌ in need for affect and ❌ for cognition.

When designing an intervention to change attitudes, health promoters can design their messages depending on the cognitive or affective need of the audience. They might 'match' their message to the attitude meta-base or the attitude structural-base of the individual. Keer's 2013 research found that if the message was matched to an individual's attitude meta-base, they ❌. However, if the message was mismatched to the individual's attitude structural base, ❌.

Keer's 2013 study found:

I think my attitudes are based (meta-base) on affect - I judge ❌ more positively. However, positive message judgement is no guarantee for actual persuasion.

I think my attitudes are based (meta-base) on cognition - I judge ❌ messages more positively. However, positive message judgement is no guarantee for actual persuasion.

Tests show my attitudes are based (structural base) on affect - more likely to change attitude if receiving message based on ❌.

Tests show my attitudes are based (structural base) on cognition - more likely to change attitude if receiving message based ❌ Individuals with a cognitive structural base are equally accepting of arguments that challenge their beliefs as they are of those that provide a new type of information.