40 Questions
What is an attitude primarily?
A way of being set towards or against certain things
What determines an individual's orientation towards their social and physical environment?
Their attitude towards a specific stimulus
What influences an individual's response to all objects and situations?
Their mental state of readiness
What is a characteristic of an attitude?
It is a specific mental disposition
What is an attitude formation process?
A subconscious mental state of readiness
What role do attitudes play in motivating action?
They mobilise action to approach or avoid a stimulus
What is an attitude related to?
Objects, ideas, events, or other people
What is an attitude a way of being set towards or against?
Certain things
What is the primary focus of the Cognitive Component of attitude?
A person's system of beliefs, perceptions and stereotypes about the attitude object
Which component of attitude involves a kind of emotion experienced towards the object?
Affective Component
What is the term often used as a substitute for the Cognitive Component of an attitude?
Opinion
What is the primary focus of the Behavioural Component of attitude?
The tendency to react towards the object of attitude in certain specific ways
What is essential for the development of attitudes towards objects, persons, and values?
Social interaction and experience
What is a characteristic of attitudes?
They are always associated with ideas, ways and external objects
What is the relationship between attitudes and motivational appeal?
Attitudes may or may not have motivational appeal initially
What is the primary distinction between the Affective Component and the Cognitive Component of attitude?
The Affective Component is related to emotions and the Cognitive Component is related to thoughts
What is the underlying reason for assuming people see the world in the same way we do?
To create a sense of balance and avoid contradictions.
What is the main idea behind balance theory?
Balanced states are preferred over unbalanced states, and unbalanced states motivate people to change them to balanced states.
What is the result of inconsistencies according to cognitive dissonance theory?
An unpleasant mental state called cognitive dissonance
What is the primary drive of the automatic system when it detects inconsistencies?
To send out alarm signals such as distress or arousal
What is the relationship between expressed attitudes and actual behavior?
Expressed attitudes are hardly good predictors of behavior
What is moral hypocrisy?
Appearing moral while avoiding the cost of being so
What is the main difference between attitudes and beliefs?
Attitudes reflect how we view the world, while beliefs are the facts and information that we accept as true
What is the primary function of beliefs?
To help us cope or hurt us if they are irrational
What is the primary function of attitudes towards a particular object or action?
To approach or avoid it
What is a characteristic of a favourable attitude?
It has positive values
How do attitudes develop?
They are learned, acquired, and conditioned through society
Can attitudes be changed?
Yes, depending on circumstances and experiences
What is a characteristic of automatic attitudes?
They are more difficult to measure than deliberate attitudes
How do social roles influence attitudes?
They have a strong influence on attitudes through social norms
How can attitudes be learned?
In a variety of ways, including direct experience, observation, and learning
What is the relationship between possessing an attitude and decision making?
Possessing an attitude increases the ease, speed, and quality of decision making
What is the primary goal of advertisers using classical and operant conditioning?
To influence people's attitude towards a particular product
What is the term for the tendency to come to like things simply because they are encountered repeatedly?
Mere exposure effect
Who is credited with the discovery of classical conditioning?
Ivan Pavlov
What is the result of repeated pairings in classical conditioning?
A neutral stimulus comes to evoke a conditioned response
Why do advertisers sometimes cancel their contracts with famous people?
Due to a change in the celebrity's public perception
What is the principle of operant conditioning?
People repeat behaviors that have been rewarded
Who demonstrated that young children imitate aggressive behaviors they observed in models?
Albert Bandura
What is the consequence of behaviors that have been punished, according to operant conditioning?
They are less likely to be repeated
Study Notes
Attitudes, Beliefs, and Consistency
Definition of Attitudes
- Attitudes are evaluations people make about objects, ideas, events, or other people
- Attitudes denote a functional state of readiness that determines how an individual reacts to certain stimuli or situations
- Attitudes are a way of being set towards or against certain things
ABC Components of Attitude
- Affect: Emotional responses (e.g., love, hate, like, dislike)
- Behaviour: Behavioural tendencies (verbal and non-verbal actions)
- Cognition: Thoughts, knowledge, and beliefs about the attitudinal object
Characteristics and Properties of Attitudes
- Attitudes imply a subject-object relationship
- Attitudes may or may not have motivational appeal initially
- Attitudes give direction to one's behaviour and actions
- Attitudes are coloured with motivational and evaluative characteristics
- Attitudes are not innate but learned, acquired, and conditioned
- Attitudes can be changed depending on circumstances, experiences, and information
Theories of Attitude Formation
- Experience: Attitudes form directly as a result of experience
- Social Factors: Social roles and social norms can influence attitudes
- Learning: Attitudes can be learned through classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and social learning
Classical Conditioning
- Ivan Pavlov: Learning through repeated pairings of a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus
- Example: Advertisers using classical conditioning to influence people's attitudes towards a product
Operant Conditioning
- B.F. Skinner: People are more likely to repeat behaviours that have been rewarded and less likely to repeat behaviours that have been punished
- Example: Advertisers using operant conditioning to sell products
Social Learning
- Albert Bandura: People are more likely to imitate behaviours if they have seen others rewarded for them
- Example: Children imitating aggressive acts they observed in aggressive models
Cognitive Dissonance and Attitude Change
- Cognitive dissonance theory: Inconsistencies produce an unpleasant mental state called cognitive dissonance, leading people to rationalize their behaviour or change their attitudes
- Balance theory: Balanced states are preferred over unbalanced states, and unbalanced states motivate people to change them to balanced states
Attitudes and Behavior
- The Theory of Planned Behaviour: Attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control influence behavioural intentions
- Attitudes do not always predict behaviour: Expressed attitudes may not match actual behaviour, and moral hypocrisy can occur
Summary
- Attitudes and beliefs reflect how we view the world
- Attitudes are formed through automatic and deliberate processes and are fairly stable once formed
- Beliefs are the facts and information that we accept as true, which can help us cope or hurt us if they are irrational
Learn about attitudes, their characteristics, formation, and change theories. Understand the relationship between attitudes and behavior, and summarize consistency theories.
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