====Positive Attitude

ATTITUDES

Attitude: A positive or negative evaluation of an object.

Attitude: A positive or negative evaluation of an object. Attitude strength: The importance of the attitude.

Attitude strength: The importance of the attitude.

Positive

Negative

Weak Strong

Attitudes can be based on:

1. Affect/Feelings

2. Cognitions

3. Behaviors

Or any combination of the three

Tricomponent model- attitudes are made up of all three categories (Affect, Behavior, Cognition).

• We now know this is wrong

Values:

Enduring beliefs about important life goals that transcend specific situations.

Values:

Enduring beliefs about important life goals that transcend specific situations.

Values Indirectly Influence Behavior Through Attitudes

Values Indirectly Influence Behavior Through Attitudes

Values Attitudes Behavior

Peace Anti-war Picket

Values do not influence all of our attitudes

Influenced by values

Not influenced by values

Values do not influence all of our attitudes

Symbolic attitudes: Attitudes that are formed through the influence of long-standing values.

Symbolic attitudes: Attitudes that are formed through the influence of long-standing values.

Instrumental attitudes: Attitudes based on benefits and costs associated with the attitude object.

Instrumental attitudes: Attitudes based on benefits and costs associated with the attitude object.

An attitude that is symbolic for one person may be instrumental for another

How Are Attitudes Formed and Maintained?

Repeated exposure can impact attitudes

Mere exposure effect- the tendency to develop more positive feelings towards objects and individuals the more we are exposed to them.

Attitudes can be formed through classical conditioning.

Classical Conditioning: Learning through association, when a conditioned stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus that naturally produces an emotional response.

Classical Conditioning: Learning through association, when a conditioned stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus that naturally produces an emotional response.

Attitudes can be formed through classical conditioning.

Classical Conditioning: Learning through association, when a conditioned stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus that naturally produces an emotional response.

Classical Conditioning: Learning through association, when a conditioned stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus that naturally produces an emotional response.

Staats & Staats (1958)

German – Table

Dutch – Gift

Swedish – Failure

American – Chair

Reinforcement and punishment of behavior can shape attitudes.

Operant Conditioning: A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by reinforcement and weakened if followed by punishment.

Operant Conditioning: A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by reinforcement and weakened if followed by punishment.

Observational LearningObservational Learning

Self-perception theory contends that behavior causes attitudes.

Self-Perception Theory:

The theory that we often infer our internal states, such as our attitudes, by observing our behavior.

Self-Perception Theory:

The theory that we often infer our internal states, such as our attitudes, by observing our behavior.

Self-perception theory contends that behavior causes attitudes.

Self-Perception Theory:

The theory that we often infer our internal states, such as our attitudes, by observing our behavior.

Self-Perception Theory:

The theory that we often infer our internal states, such as our attitudes, by observing our behavior.

Internal or External Attribution?

Attitudes are influenced by changes in facial expression

Strack (1988) had students hold a pen in their mouths while viewing cartoons

Facial feedback hypothesis

When Do Attitudes Predict

Behavior?

Richard LaPiere (1934)

Would restaurant and hotel managers act on their negative attitudes towards Asians and refuse service to

the Chinese couple?

1 of 66 hotels turned them away

0 of 184 restaurants turned them away

Over 90% of respondents said they would not serve the Chinese couple

Issues Related to Attitudes Predicting Behavior

Level of Attitude – Behavior Specificity

Specific attitudes are better predictors of behavior than are general attitudes.

Issues Related to Attitudes Predicting Behavior

Private Versus Public Self-Awareness

Froming (1982)

• Participants had private attitudes that they thought differed from public standards

1. Some participants gave shocks while looking in a small mirror

2. Some participants gave shocks in front of a small audience

3. Some participants gave shocks with no mirror or audience

Issues Related to Attitudes Predicting Behavior

Private Versus Public Self-Awareness

Issues Related to Attitudes Predicting Behavior

Attitude Strength

What makes an attitude strong?

• Acquiring more information about the attitude object

• Personal involvement with the attitude object

1978 Michigan Initiative to Raise the Drinking Age From 18 – 21

Theory of planned behavior asserts that attitudes influence behavior by shaping intentions

Fishbein & Ajzen (1975): Theory of Reasoned Action

Ajzen (1991): Theory of Planned Behavior

Theory of planned behavior asserts that attitudes influence behavior by shaping intentions

Theory of planned behavior- the theory that people’s conscious decisions to engage in specific actions are determined by their attitudes towards the behavior in question, the relevant subjective norms, and the perceived behavioral control.

Theory of planned behavior asserts that attitudes influence behavior by shaping intentions

Theory of planned behavior asserts that attitudes influence behavior by shaping intentions

Theory of planned behavior asserts that attitudes influence behavior by shaping intentions

Theory of planned behavior asserts that attitudes influence behavior by shaping intentions

Subjective norms- a person’s judgment about whether other people will approve of a particular behavior

Product of 2 factors:

1. Perceived expectations of others

2. Motivation to conform to those expectations

Theory of planned behavior asserts that attitudes influence behavior by shaping intentions

Perceived behavioral control- one’s perception of how easy or difficult it is to perform a behavior

Criticisms of the theory of planned action

Theory ignores the possibility that attitudes can result in spontaneous behavior.

Implicit & Explicit Attitudes

Implicit Attitude: An attitude that is activated automatically from memory, often without the person's awareness that she or he possess it.

Implicit Attitude: An attitude that is activated automatically from memory, often without the person's awareness that she or he possess it.

Explicit Attitude:

A consciously held attitude.

Explicit Attitude:

A consciously held attitude.

Implicit attitudes may create explicit attitudes

ImplicitAttitudes

ImplicitAttitudes

Explicit

Attitudes(through

self-perception)

Explicit

Attitudes(through

self-perception)

Behavior Behavior

You Can Have Conflicting Implicit & Explicit Attitudes

Dual Attitudes: The simultaneous possession of contradictory implicit and explicit attitudes toward the same object.

Dual Attitudes: The simultaneous possession of contradictory implicit and explicit attitudes toward the same object.

When do implicit and when do explicit attitudes predict behavior?

Explicit: rewards or social norms are salient

Implicit: situational factors are missing and the person is behaving more spontaneously