3. Attitudes Flashcards
Define attitudes as per Allport (1935)
A mental state of readiness that exerts influence on an individual’s response to objects and situations to which it is related
Define attitudes in terms of the cognitive approach (Tourangeau & Rasinski, 1988)
Structure of interrelated beliefs that reside in LTM that are activated when objects or situations that related are encountered
Describe the one component model of attitudes
Affect (evaluation) for or against a psychological object
Describe the two component model of attitudes
Consists of a mental readiness to act, and guides evaluative responses (includes a behavioural aspect)
Describe the 3 component attitude model
Consists of the affective, behavioural and cognitive components (thought, feeling and action)
What is one major flaw with concluding that attitudes have a behavioural aspect?
Behaviour does not always match our attitude
What are the 3 components of attitudes as per Haddock & Zanna (1998)?
Knowledge (cognitive), feeling (affect) and action (behaviour)
Describe instrumentality in terms of attitudes
Means to an end or goal (e.g. through support of certain political parties)
How can an attitude be a form of ego defence?
To protect one’s self esteem we may adopt an uncaring attitude (e.g. if we fail at something)
Describe the socio-cognitive model of attitudes (Pratkanis & Greenwald, 1989)
- Highlights an evaluative component (how we feel)
- Knowledge of an object is represented in memory along with a summary of how to appraise it
- Structured within memory and knowledge which then supports the evaluative component
What are the 4 components of the socio-cognitive model?
- Label for object
- Rules for application
- Evaluative summary
- Supportive knowledge structure
What is the purpose of the label for an object?
To make sense of the world
What is the purpose if the rules for application?
To help to deal with the environment
What is the purpose of the evaluative summary?
Heuristic - a simply strategy for appraisal
What is the purpose of supportive knowledge structure?
Schematic - organises and guides memory for events and actions
Apply the socio-cognitive model to a shark
Label: Shark = really big fish with sharp teeth
Rules: Lives in sea, eats other fish (& sometimes people)
Evaluative summary: frightening, best avoided while swimming
Knowledge structure: A well documented threat to our physical well-being
What are the 5 methods through which we can form an attitude?
- Mere exposure effect
- Classical conditioning
- Instrumental conditioning
- Social learning theory
- Self-perception theory
Describe mere-exposure effect (Zajonc, 1968)
Repeated exposure to an object results in greater attraction to that object (e.g. listening to new music) although this will eventually taper off over timed
Describe classical conditioning (Staats, 1957; Zanna et al., 1970)
Repeated association to a formerly neutral stimulus can elicit a reaction that was previously elicited by another stimulus
Describe instrumental conditioning (Kimble, 1961)
Responses which yield positive outcomes or eliminate negative outcomes are strengthened