Psychology: Understanding Attitudes

Definition and Concept

• Attitude: a relatively enduring organization of beliefs, feelings, and behavioral tendencies towards a person, group, idea, or object.
• Comprises three components:
  • Affective (emotional): feelings or emotions towards an object
  • Cognitive (knowledge-based): beliefs and knowledge about an object
  • Conative (action-oriented): behavioral intentions or actions towards an object

Types of Attitudes

• Explicit attitudes: conscious, deliberate, and intentional attitudes that are easy to self-report
• Implicit attitudes: unconscious, automatic, and unintentional attitudes that are difficult to self-report

Formation and Change of Attitudes

• Classical conditioning: attitudes can be formed through associations between stimuli and responses (e.g., Pavlov's dogs)
• Social learning: attitudes can be formed through observing and imitating others
• Cognitive dissonance: attitudes can change when there is a discrepancy between existing attitudes and new information
• Persuasion: attitudes can change through persuasive messages and social influence

Measurement of Attitudes

• Self-report measures: questionnaires and surveys that ask individuals to report their attitudes
• Implicit measures: indirect methods that assess attitudes through behavioral responses (e.g., Implicit Association Test)

Functions of Attitudes

• Knowledge function: attitudes provide a way to organize and make sense of the world
• Social identity function: attitudes help individuals define themselves and their social groups
• Utilitarian function: attitudes influence behavior and decision-making
• Ego-defensive function: attitudes serve as a defense mechanism against perceived threats or inconsistencies

Attitude Components

• Attitudes comprise three components: affective, cognitive, and conative.
• Affective component: feelings or emotions towards an object.
• Cognitive component: beliefs and knowledge about an object.
• Conative component: behavioral intentions or actions towards an object.

Attitude Types

• Explicit attitudes: conscious, deliberate, and intentional attitudes that are easy to self-report.
• Implicit attitudes: unconscious, automatic, and unintentional attitudes that are difficult to self-report.

Attitude Formation and Change

• Attitudes can be formed through classical conditioning, which associates stimuli with responses.
• Social learning theory: attitudes can be formed through observing and imitating others.
• Cognitive dissonance: attitudes can change when there is a discrepancy between existing attitudes and new information.
• Persuasion: attitudes can change through persuasive messages and social influence.

Attitude Measurement

• Self-report measures: questionnaires and surveys that ask individuals to report their attitudes.
• Implicit measures: indirect methods that assess attitudes through behavioral responses (e.g., Implicit Association Test).

Attitude Functions

• Knowledge function: attitudes provide a way to organize and make sense of the world.
• Social identity function: attitudes help individuals define themselves and their social groups.
• Utilitarian function: attitudes influence behavior and decision-making.
• Ego-defensive function: attitudes serve as a defense mechanism against perceived threats or inconsistencies.