La Dimensión Periférica Central de los Sistemas de Creencias

The purpose of this study was to determine the conceptual validity of three kinds of beliefs prlmitive, authority, and peripheral conceived to be arranged along a central-peripheral dimension of belief systems it was found that subjects respond differentially to the three kinds of beliefs. Primitive beliefs are typically perceived by subjects to be supported by unanimous social consensus. are typically held with absolute intensity and are perceived to be highly resistant to change. These three variables [consensus, intensity and resistsnce to change) sharply distinguish between primitive and non-primitive (authority and peripheral) beliefs. Furthermore, authority beliefs are empirically distinguished from peripheral beliefs by being perceived as more resistant to change. Thus, the conceptual distinctions drawn between the three kinds of beliefs are strongly supported.