Psychology Module 11 Flashcards

Study Notes

Attitudes in Psychology

An attitude is a relatively enduring organization of beliefs, feelings, and behavioral tendencies toward socially significant objects, groups, events, or symbols.

Components of Attitude (ABCs)

Affective Component: Involves feelings or emotions toward the attitude object (e.g., "I am scared of spiders").
Behavioral Component: Reflects how attitudes influence actions or behaviors (e.g., "I will avoid spiders and scream if I see one").
Cognitive Component: Encompasses beliefs or knowledge about the attitude object (e.g., "I believe spiders are dangerous").

Consistency Principle

Suggests that behavior is usually expected to align with held attitudes.
LaPiere's 1934 study revealed discrepancies between attitudes and behaviors; despite widespread anti-Chinese sentiment, most establishments treated a Chinese couple politely, while later, 91% refused to accept Chinese guests in correspondence.

Strength of Attitude

Determined by two key variables: knowledge and importance/personal relevance.

Measuring Attitudes

Behavioral Observation: Directly observing actions related to attitudes.
Likert Scales: Developed by Likert in 1932, these scales gauge attitudes through agreement with statements, tapping into cognitive and affective components.
- Respondents rate statements on a scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree, often using five to nine pre-coded responses.

Implicit vs. Explicit Attitudes

Explicit Attitudes: Conscious and deliberately formed, making them easy to self-report.
Implicit Attitudes: Unconscious and involuntarily formed, often unknown to the individual.

Challenges in Measuring Implicit Attitudes

Implicit attitudes are difficult to measure because they remain unknown to the subject.

Implicit Association Test (IAT)

A method for measuring implicit attitudes by categorizing words or pictures quickly to determine automatic associations between concepts and attributes.

Heider's Balance Theory and Marketing

Marketing strategies can influence personal attitudes using balanced triads.
- By associating products with positive figures or concepts (e.g., a young person and Macs) and contrasting with negative ones (e.g., an older person and PCs), marketers aim to shape consumer attitudes.
- A positive relationship with the positive figure encourages favorable attitudes toward the associated product.

Example of Balanced and Imbalanced Triads

Balanced: Young person + Macs = Positive attitude
Imbalanced: Older person + PCs = Negative attitude

Description

Explore key concepts in social psychology with these flashcards from Module 11. This quiz focuses on the definition of attitudes and their components, helping you understand how beliefs and feelings influence behavior. Perfect for quick revision or deepening your knowledge in psychology.