Consciousness and Attitudes

• Consciousness refers to awareness.
• It includes awareness of:
  • Self
  • Bodily sensations
  • Thoughts
  • The environment
• Conscious and unconscious attitudes are explored.

Explicit Attitudes

• These attitudes reflect what we want to be true.
• Includes who we want to be.
• Includes what we think others expect from us.

Implicit Attitudes

• These attitudes are feelings we aren't consciously aware of.
• There is less direct control over these attitudes.
• They affect behavior in ways we may not realize.
• Response time can indicate implicit attitudes when making associations between concepts.
• Lying or misrepresenting requires more conscious thought.
• Reflected by physiological data
• Measurement is limited in predicting individual behavior.
• Measurement is useful in the aggregate

Predicting Behavior

• Using both implicit and explicit attitudes is most effective when used together.
• Implicit attitudes were stronger for early-life attitudes.
• Explicit attitudes were stronger for attitudes developed later.
• Behaviors often diverge from attitudes.
• Performing an action can change attitudes.

Confabulation

• We can generate false memories of emotion sources to fit current views or narratives.
• Applies to actions as well.
• We form and believe explanations for our actions.

Cognitive-Dissonance Theory

• Conflicts between beliefs cause tension.
• Attitudes are adopted to reduce tension.
• Example:
  • Cheating is wrong, but a person who cheated sees themselves as good.
  • This creates the tension, "If cheating is wrong, and I'm a good person, then how could I have cheated?"
  • Resolution: Cheating isn't really wrong.
  • This involves searching for justification and confirmation bias.
• A small wrong may be justified once committed.
• The justification can be applied to a larger wrong through gradual escalation.
• Desensitization occurs as a result.

Overjustification

• Providing too much incentive shifts the reason for actions from intrinsic to extrinsic.
• Intrinsic motivation drives actions by internal forces.
  • Reading for enjoyment, studying psychology because the mind is interesting.
• Extrinsic motivation drives actions by external forces.
  • Reading to impress others, studying psychology to get good grades and go to grad school.
• Intrinsically motivated actions create pleasure.
• Extrinsically motivated actions create exhaustion.

Self-Perception Theory

• Attitudes can be inferred by observing our actions.

Observable Outputs

• Our attitudes and perceptions may be handled by unconscious parts of brain.
• Hippocampus
• Amygdala assesses sensory input for threat.
• Activation of the amygdala triggers increased heart-rate, goosebumps, shaking, etc.
• Feelings are inferred by observing outputs.
• Deep breathing makes you feel calm
  • Indicates parasympathetic activation: rest and digest.
• Slow breathing occurs when no threats are present.
• There's no need for anxiety if no threats are present.
• There's no need to breathe quickly if there's no anxiety.
• Process: Conscious action -> perception -> unconscious action.

Comparing Theories

• Both theories about actions affecting attitudes are supported to some extent.
• Dissonance: Justification of acts is reduced when other methods of affirming self-concepts are available.
• Self-perception: Attitudes follow behavior even when no contradiction or pressure to manage perceptions are present.

Conclusions

• Consciousness is not the sole director of our minds; the unconscious mind plays a significant role.
• The conscious mind creates stories and explanations for actions and attitudes.