Are (some) reports of attitude strength context dependent?

The present study assessed the impact of subjective experiences on judgments of attitude strength. Sixty undergraduate subjects generated either three or seven arguments that either supported (for some subjects) or countered (for other subjects) their attitude toward doctor-assisted suicide, and subsequently indicated the strength of their attitude. Subjects reported that their attitude was more important, intense, and certain after having generated three rather than seven pro-attitudinal (or seven rather than three counter attitudinal) arguments, suggesting that attitude strength is not always a stable feature of an attitude. Implications for models of attitude strength are discussed.