Taking and getting perspectives on controversial topics: Effects on attitudes, argumentation, and learning

Learning through discussing controversial topics involves confronting and re-evaluating entrenched attitudes, broadening understanding of diverse viewpoints, and cultivating an empathetic and informed perspective. This study (N = 409) employed a 2×2 factorial design to examine the effects of perspectivetaking (PT) and perspective-getting (PG) on attitudes, argumentation qualities (absolutism, subjectivity, elaborateness, multi-perspectivity), and learning outcomes. Participants engaged with a counterattitudinal social media post on meat consumption, with PT requiring them to adopt an opposing stance and PG exposing them to personal narratives. PT enhanced learning, attitude change, and behavioural intention, while PG promoted more tentative arguments but had limited effects on learning and argument depth. These findings highlight PT’s potential in fostering critical engagement on controversial topics.