Balance principles in attitude formation and change: The desire to maintain consistent cognitions about people

Why do we like some people and dislike others? Why is it that our social sentiments are not always stable, and what motivates these changes? Answers to these questions can be derived from balance theory. Our aim in this chapter is to provide a short overview of balance theory and its implications for contemporary attitude research. Specifically, we argue that balance theory provides a useful tool to investigate the processes that underlie interpersonal attitude formation and change. We outline a research program that promises to provide a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms that promote or undermine the formation of cognitive balance