In 3 experiments, Ss' attitudes on United States involvement in Vietnam were
not found to affect learning of relevant propagandistic information. This was
true (a) for measures of incidental as well as of intentional learning, and (b)
for Ss aware that they were selected on the basis of their preexisting attitudes
as well as for those who were unaware. Further, no reliable relationship between
judged prior familiarity with information and subsequent learning was
obtained. However, statements unsympathetic to United States involvement in
Vietnam, a category with which Ss were relatively unfamiliar, were reliably
better learned than those supporting involvement. This finding, together with
supplementary novelty ratings on the experimental information, led to the
conclusion that information novelty may enhance learning of propagandistic
information.
The conclusion that attitude