Psychological Questions. The Psychological Questions Psychologists focus on people ’ s behaviours and attitudes (e.g. social problem of drinking and driving)

PsychologicalPsychologicalQuestionsQuestions

The Psychological The Psychological QuestionsQuestions

Psychologists focus Psychologists focus on peopleon people’’s s behaviours and behaviours and attitudes (e.g. social attitudes (e.g. social problem of drinking problem of drinking and driving). and driving).

They are concerned They are concerned with programs which with programs which can help people can help people change their change their behaviour (e.g. behaviour (e.g. MADD).MADD).

The Psychological The Psychological QuestionsQuestions Psychologists may ask Psychologists may ask

the following the following questions:questions:

1.1. What must people do What must people do to successfully change to successfully change their behaviours?their behaviours?

2.2. What factors make What factors make behaviour-modification behaviour-modification programs successful?programs successful?

3.3. Do most people need Do most people need help changing help changing behaviour, or can they behaviour, or can they be self-changers?be self-changers?


Psychological research Psychological research involves the strong links involves the strong links between peoplebetween people’’s s attitudesattitudes (what they think) and their (what they think) and their behavioursbehaviours (what they do) (what they do)

Psychologists want to know Psychologists want to know if it is necessary to change if it is necessary to change individualsindividuals’’ attitudes before attitudes before behaviour can be changed behaviour can be changed (e.g. change the person(e.g. change the person’’s s attitude about drinking attitude about drinking before person will stop before person will stop drinking and driving).drinking and driving).


In search for answers In search for answers about changing about changing peoplepeople’’s behaviour, s behaviour, psychologists ask the psychologists ask the question:question:

Are friends more Are friends more effective then effective then strangers in changing strangers in changing a persona person’’s attitudes?s attitudes?


How effectively How effectively does the media does the media mould and change mould and change our attitudes?our attitudes?


If society considers If society considers a behaviour a behaviour unacceptable, and unacceptable, and imposes sanctions imposes sanctions against it, are against it, are individuals more individuals more likely to stop this likely to stop this behaviour?behaviour?

Or is it deeper than Or is it deeper than that?that?


What personal What personal qualities make it qualities make it easy or difficult to easy or difficult to persuade an persuade an individual to change?individual to change?

Are people generally Are people generally more receptive to more receptive to logical or emotional logical or emotional arguments? arguments?

Cognitive ConsistencyCognitive Consistency Through their studies, Through their studies,

social psychologists social psychologists have discovered that have discovered that most individuals desire most individuals desire cognitive consistencycognitive consistency in in their beliefs.their beliefs.

This means that we This means that we want to avoid attitudes want to avoid attitudes that conflict with each that conflict with each other.other.

When two attitudes When two attitudes conflict with each other conflict with each other we experience we experience discomfort.discomfort.

Our desire to Our desire to regain regain cognitive cognitive consistencyconsistency forces forces us to change one us to change one of the conflicting of the conflicting attitudes. attitudes.

The most favoured The most favoured theory of attitude theory of attitude change is called change is called the the cognitive cognitive dissonance theory.dissonance theory.

Example:Example: Suppose youSuppose you smoke, but smoke, but

you also believe that you also believe that smoking causes cancer smoking causes cancer and other serious and other serious diseases. diseases.

You are experiencing You are experiencing dissonancedissonance, meaning , meaning that what you do conflicts that what you do conflicts with what you think. with what you think.

In your desire to regain In your desire to regain cognitive consistency, you cognitive consistency, you will probably try to avoid will probably try to avoid facing the conflict. You facing the conflict. You may avoid smoking in may avoid smoking in front of a friend who is front of a friend who is strongly opposed to strongly opposed to smoking (thereby smoking (thereby avoiding a lecture).avoiding a lecture).

What are other What are other options to options to effectively reduce effectively reduce the dissonance you the dissonance you feel in a situation ? feel in a situation ?

You can change your You can change your behaviour to make it behaviour to make it consistent with your consistent with your attitudes-you can stop attitudes-you can stop smoking.smoking.

You can reinforce your You can reinforce your attitude (e.g. my attitude (e.g. my grandma was heavy grandma was heavy smoker and lived to be smoker and lived to be 93).93).

You may fool You may fool yourself for a while, yourself for a while, yet as long as you yet as long as you live in a state of live in a state of dissonancedissonance, you will , you will probably experience probably experience anxiety and be very anxiety and be very uncomfortable-even uncomfortable-even hostile-if someone hostile-if someone criticizes your criticizes your behaviour.behaviour.

DissonanceDissonance

Did you ever do Did you ever do something that you something that you knew was wrong knew was wrong and ended up and ended up feeling anger; feeling anger; resulting from the resulting from the dissonance between dissonance between what you do and what you do and what you think ? what you think ?

Theory of Attitude Theory of Attitude ChangeChange

Cognitive Dissonance Theory Cognitive Dissonance Theory Six Stages of Change (Behaviour Six Stages of Change (Behaviour

Modification)Modification)-Pre-contemplation (denial, refusal)-Pre-contemplation (denial, refusal)-Contemplation (questioning)-Contemplation (questioning)-Preparation (investigation)-Preparation (investigation)-Action (commitment)-Action (commitment)-Maintenance (transition)-Maintenance (transition)-Termination (completion)-Termination (completion)

Positive and Negative ReinforcementPositive and Negative Reinforcement

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Psychological Questions. The Psychological Questions Psychologists focus on people ’ s behaviours and attitudes (e.g. social problem of drinking and driving)