Psychology Chapter: Attitudes

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Questions and Answers

According to the functional theory of attitudes, what primarily dictates the formation of attitudes?

  • The specific function the attitude serves for the individual. (correct)
  • Social norms and cultural values.
  • The immediate emotional response to the attitude object.
  • The inherent qualities of the attitude object itself.

Which of the following best describes the 'utilitarian function' of attitude formation?

  • Attitudes developed to protect oneself from external threats.
  • Attitudes formed to express personal values.
  • Attitudes based on the rewards and punishments associated with a product. (correct)
  • Attitudes formed to align with a person's self-concept.

A consumer buys a product specifically because they feel it reflects their sense of self. This is an example of which functional attitude?

  • Social-adjustive function.
  • Value-expressive function. (correct)
  • Ego-defensive function.
  • Utilitarian function.

If an individual develops a negative attitude toward a product to avoid feeling insecure about their own choices, this is most likely an example of which function?

<p>The ego-defensive function. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of these best explains the concept of 'attitude object'?

<p>Anything toward which one holds an enduring general evaluation. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the 'knowledge function' of attitudes?

<p>Attitudes formed to provide structure and meaning in ambiguous situations. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a characteristic of a strong attitude?

<p>It springs to mind easily. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

An ambivalent attitude is best described as a state where:

<p>A person is unsure or conflicted in their attitude toward something. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Dual attitudes are characterized by which of the following?

<p>Conflicting attitudes held simultaneously, one explicit, one implicit. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the multicomponent (ABC) model of attitudes, the 'Affect' component refers to:

<p>A consumers emotional feelings about the attitude object. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which sequence best represents the high-involvement hierarchy of effects?

<p>Cognition -&gt; Affect -&gt; Behavior (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to the low-involvement hierarchy, how does a consumer typically form an evaluation of a product?

<p>Only after buying and using the product. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a key feature of the experiential hierarchy of effects?

<p>Consumers act based on their emotional reactions. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role does 'control' play in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)?

<p>The perceived amount of control one has over a situation. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

When is attitude most likely to be inferred from behavior?

<p>When people have a weak attitude. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which theoretical perspective suggests that individuals change their attitudes to align with their behaviors in order to reduce discomfort?

<p>Cognitive dissonance theory (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to self-perception theory, how do individuals determine their attitudes?

<p>By observing their own behaviors and drawing inferences from them (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the 'foot-in-the-door' technique primarily rely on to influence consumer behavior?

<p>Securing initial agreement with a small request before moving on to a larger one (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a key limitation of measuring explicit attitudes using questionnaires and interviews?

<p>Participants may display social desirability bias, affecting answer accuracy (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between explicit and implicit attitudes?

<p>Explicit attitudes are consciously accessible, while implicit attitudes operate outside of awareness (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How are implicit attitudes typically measured?

<p>Utilizing reaction time tasks that assess associated concepts (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the core concept that the Implicit Association Test (IAT) aims to assess?

<p>The strength of associations between concepts in memory (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the first main step in the IAT procedure involving target discrimination?

<p>Categorizing names recognized in the US as Black/African American or White/European American (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the IAT, what does a differential association between target categories and attributes reveal?

<p>The measure of implicit attitudinal difference between the target categories (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the IAT suggest if a White subject finds it easier to associate 'White' with 'pleasant' and 'Black' with 'unpleasant'?

<p>The subject is likely influenced by pervasive residues of a history of anti-Black bias (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

If a person's explicit and implicit attitudes are not aligned or consistent, which of the following best describes such a situation?

<p>Weak or ambivalent attitudes (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a common behavior people exhibit when confronted with their IAT results?

<p>Attempting to understand their results using the task's inner workings and algorithm (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a sensemaking theme often observed when individuals discuss their IAT results?

<p>Defensiveness and comments suggesting preference for in-groups (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a way some individuals may react to the IAT results in order to minimize the seriousness of the discussion?

<p>By offering up humor and light conversations (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a way participants modify their behaviors due to being observed in an experiment?

<p>Hawthorne effect (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Attitudes

A lasting evaluation of people, objects, or issues, indicating favor or disfavor.

Attitude object

Anything toward which one has an attitude, including products or issues.

Functional theory of attitudes

The theory that attitudes exist to serve specific functions for individuals.

Utilitarian function

Attitudes developed based on the pleasure or pain a product provides.

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Ego-defensive function

Attitudes formed to protect against external threats or internal feelings.

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Knowledge function of attitudes

Attitudes formed to provide order and meaning in ambiguous situations.

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Strong attitudes

Attitudes important to self-concept, related to values, and persistent over time.

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Weak attitudes

Attitudes less related to self-concept and values, easier to change.

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Ambivalence

A state of conflict where a person is uncertain about their attitude.

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Dual attitudes

When explicit and implicit attitudes coexist, influenced by context.

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Multicomponent (ABC) model

Attitudes evaluated through affect, behavior, and cognition.

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High-involvement hierarchy

Process where cognition leads to affect, then behavior in decision making.

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Low-involvement hierarchy

Cognition leads to behavior and then affect, based on limited knowledge.

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Experiential hierarchy

Emotions (affect) influence behavior, then cognition in decisions.

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Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)

Attitudes, norms, and perceived control influence intentions and behaviors.

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Cognitive consistency principle

The idea that we seek harmony among our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

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Cognitive dissonance

The mental discomfort experienced when our beliefs do not match our behaviors, motivating attitude change.

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Self-perception theory

The theory that we understand our own attitudes by observing our behavior.

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Foot-in-the-door technique

A strategy where agreeing to a small request increases the likelihood of agreeing to a larger request later.

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Explicit attitudes

Attitudes that are consciously accessible and can be reported directly.

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Social desirability

The tendency to present oneself in a way that will be viewed favorably by others.

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Demand characteristics

When participants alter their behavior based on their interpretation of an experiment's purpose.

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Implicit attitudes

Unconscious attitudes that influence judgments and behaviors without direct introspection.

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Implicit Association Test (IAT)

A test measuring implicit attitudes by assessing reaction times to categorize concepts.

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Weak/ambivalent attitudes

When implicit and explicit attitudes do not align, causing uncertainty.

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Sensemaking themes in IAT

Patterns observed in how participants react to IAT results, like defensiveness or humor.

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IAT legitimacy concerns

Doubts about the reliability and validity of the IAT and its results.

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Explicit racism

Defensive responses to IAT results indicating personal biases or preferences towards in-groups.

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Hawthorne effect

When individuals change their behavior because they are aware of being observed.

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Study Notes

Attitudes

  • Definition: A lasting, general evaluation of people, objects, advertisements, or issues; a disposition to evaluate an attitude object with favor or disfavor.
  • Attitude object: Anything toward which one has an attitude.
  • Functional theory of attitudes: Attitudes exist to serve some function for the person, summarizing the world, influencing social behavior.
    • Utilitarian function: Attitudes formed based on pleasure (reward) or pain (punishment) associated with a product.
    • Value-expressive function: Attitudes reflect a consumer's self-concept or values, connecting with what a product signifies about them.
    • Ego-defensive function: Attitudes formed to protect oneself from external threats or internal feelings (e.g., deodorant ads).
    • Knowledge function: Attitudes formed for order, structure, and meaning in ambiguous situations or with new products.
  • Strong vs. Weak Attitudes: Differ in importance to self-concept, relationship to values, certainty, accessibility, role in decision-making, persistence, and changeability.
  • Ambivalence: A state of conflict where one isn't sure about an attitude; an unresolved, unpleasant feeling. It isn't indifference (you care but haven't decided). Strong attitudes are typically not ambivalent.
  • Dual attitudes: Different explicit (conscious, controlled) and implicit (unconscious, uncontrolled) attitudes can coexist. The accessible attitude (often implicit) influences actions in a given context.
  • Implicit attitude is often stronger than explicit: Explicit attitudes can be changed to overrule unwanted implicit attitudes (e.g., resisting stereotypes).
  • Multi-component (ABC) model: Attitudes are evaluated through thoughts, feelings, and overt behavior (extremely negative to positive). Components overlap, are interrelated.
    • Affect: Feelings about an attitude object.
    • Behavior: Actions (or intentions) towards the object.
    • Cognition: Beliefs about the object.
  • Hierarchies of effects: Different sequences in attitude formation.
    • High-involvement hierarchy: Cognition → Affect → Behavior (e.g., problem-solving purchase).
    • Low-involvement hierarchy: Cognition → Behavior → Affect (e.g., limited knowledge, behavioral learning).
    • Experiential hierarchy: Affect → Behavior → Cognition (e.g., hedonic motivation, emotional reactions).
  • Attitude-behavior relationship: Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) suggests attitudes, norms, and perceived control influence intention, which affects behavior.
    • When attitudes are weak, behavior can infer attitudes.
    • When attitudes are strong, attitudes influence behavior.
  • Theoretical perspectives on attitude formation:
    • Cognitive consistency principle: Maintaining harmony between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Attitudes are formed based on existing attitudes.
    • Cognitive dissonance: Motivation to reduce discomfort from inconsistent thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Changing attitudes to align with behaviors.
    • Self-perception theory: Attitudes are inferred from observations of one's own behaviors. Consistency is maintained by inferring positive attitudes when actions are positive.
  • Persuasion techniques:
    • Foot-in-the-door technique: Getting someone to agree to a smaller request first to increase likelihood of compliance with a larger request.

Measuring Implicit Attitudes (Greenwald, 1998)

  • Explicit attitudes: Consciously accessible, measured through questionnaires/interviews. Vulnerable to social desirability bias and demand characteristics.
  • Implicit attitudes: Unconscious, measured using reaction time tasks (e.g., Implicit Association Test - IAT).
  • IAT procedure: A two-category discrimination task. Assesses associations between target concepts (e.g., Black/White) and attribute dimensions (e.g., pleasant/unpleasant). Easier task indicates stronger association.
  • Interpretations of IAT results: Varying reactions include reporting results, questioning legitimacy, revealing explicit racism, or attempting to minimize issues with humor. Different reactions may indicate varying degrees of awareness or discomfort.

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