Attitude Flashcards
Define Attitude.
Attitude is defined as a predisposition involving beliefs, feelings and dispositions to act towards some object,person,group or idea. They are seen as lasting evaluations of virtually any and every aspect of the social world.
Components of attitude.
A. Cognitive component - the belief. This evaluation could be positive or negative.
B. Affective component- like or dislike
C. Behavioral component - actual behaviour (actions)
Ways of forming attitude / Process of forming attitude.
- Classical conditioning
- Operant conditioning
- Observational learning
- Genetic factors
Ways to change attitude (Persuasion) : systematic processing
Involves careful consideration of the message contents. Quite effortful and absorbs much of our information processing capacity. We engage in this type of persuasion when our capacity to process information is high or we are motivated to do so. Also called the ELM - Elaboration likelihood model . When relevance is high people process messages through the central route and in this mode argument strength is important.
Ways to change attitude (persuasion): heuristic processing
Uses simple rules of thumb or mental shortcuts .less effortful and allows reaction to the persuasive message in an automatic manner.engaged in when we lack the ability or capacity to process more carefully or when our motivation to perform such cognitive work is low. Thai is the Heuristic systematic model or peripheral route. Used when relevance is low .
Ways of changing attitude: Cognitive dissonance
Refers to the feelings we experience when we notice a gap between two attitudes we hold, or between our attitude and our behaviour.
A.Counter-attitudinal roleplay
B. Induced compliance
C. Attitude - discrepant behaviour
A. It involves situations in which people express attitudes publicly that are opposite to their private attitudes.
B. It is a technique for changing attitudes in which individuals are somehow induced to state positions different from their actual views.
C. It refers to behavior that is inconsistent with an attitude (i.e. sometimes we behave differently than would be expected based on our attitudes).
Ways to reduce dissonance
A. Counter - attitudinal roleplaying
B. Acquiring new information that supports our attitude or our behaviour
C. Trivialisation
Less leads to more effect
The stronger one’s reason for engaging in attitude - discrepant behaviour,the weaker the pressure towards changing one’s underlying attitude.
Prejudice
Powerful negative attitude towards the members of a specific group based solely on their membership to that group.
Discrimination
Behavioral component of prejudice/prejudice in action.
Less favorable treatment or negative action directed towards members of disliked groups
Direct ways of persuasion
- Experts
- Messages not designed to change attitude
- Attractive sources
- Persuasion while being distracted
- Two sided approach
- Speaking rapidly
- Arousing strong emotions
COP- Direct intergroup conflict
Competition as a source of bias
Realistic conflict theory
Robber’s Cave experiment (Sheriff)
COP- Social categorisation
The us vs them effect
Division of the world into district social categories leading to prejudice
Ultimate attribution error:
Desirable behaviour of “us” to internal or stable reasons and if “them” to external or temporary reasons
COP- Social learning
Learned prejudice from Direct experiences and observation.
Mass media too has a important role
COP- Stereotypes
Cognitive frameworks consisting knowledge and beliefs about specific social groups.
Inferential prisons: metals frameworks from which it is difficult if not impossible to escape. Labour saving devices . Quick and easy judgement. Allows individuals to protect and bolster their social identity.
RP: Learning not to hate
Discouraging the transmission of bigoted views while encouraging more positive attitudes towards others.
Tolerance.
RP: Direct intergroup contact
Contact hypothesis - increased contact between members of different groups
Conditions-
1. Equal social status
2. Cooperation and interdependence
3. Must permit getting to know
4. Norms must favour equality
5. Must view each other typical of their groups
Extended contact hypothesis
RP: Recategorisation
Resetting the boundaries between “us” and “them”.
Involves somehow including individuals to shift the boundaries between us and them so that it now includes groups they previously viewed as them
