Attitudes

Question 1

Attitudes single component

Answer 1

Generally focused on affect (feelings)

General enduring positive or negative feeling about some person object or issue

Question 2

True-component/ tripartite definition of attitude

Answer 2

Affective: positive or negative feelings about object

Behavioural: tendencies to act toward object

Cognitive: beliefs and thoughts shot object

Question 3

Self-report measures

Answer 3

Interviews, focus groups

Attitude scales:

Likert scale: ppts rate agreement with series of positive and negative statements

Semantic differentials: ppts rate attitude objective according to pairs of opposing evaluative words

Question 4

Covert measures

Answer 4

Behavioural measures: based on behavioural observation

Affective measures: the implicit association test
- Faster to clarify things that are related in memory than things unrelated

Question 5

Physiological measures

Answer 5

Pupillary response (dilation and constriction)

Facial EMG: electrodes used to measure facial muscle activity

Question 6

Nosek (2007)

Answer 6

Implicit and explicit measures reflect separate attitude constructs
-differences due to fact implicit and explicit measures tap into distinct constructs in memory

Implicit and explicit measures reflect related attitude constructs

Implicit and explicit measures reflect same underlying attitude construct
- differences due to method variance of measures

Question 7

Karpinski & Hilton (2001)

Answer 7

No significant correlation between implicit and explicit attitude measures

Manipulations designed time increase positive/ negative associations with attitude objects only affected implicit attitudes

-reflect separate attitude constructs

Question 8

Nosek & Smyth (2007)

Answer 8

Structural modelling analyses large amount of data indicated that models representing explicit and implicit attitudes as related but distinct constructs

-implicit and explicit measures reflect related but separate attitude constructs

Question 9

Payne, Burkley and stokes (2008)

Answer 9

Higher correlation between implicit and explicit attitude measures when extraneous differences in the two measures were reduced

-measurement variance may be responsible for some of the divergence in explicit and implicit measures

Question 10

Mere exposure effect

Zajonc (1968)

Answer 10

Develop more positive feelings towards more familiar objects

Question 11

Evaluative conditioning

Answer 11

Pairing a new, neutral stimulus with already positive thing -> positive attitude

Pairing a new, neutral stimulus with an already negative thing-> negative attitude

Question 12

Self-perception theory

Bem (1965)

Answer 12

We form attitudes by observing our behaviour and the circumstances in which it occurred and making inferences (attributions)

Facial feedback hypothesis; facial activity can influence affective responses

Question 13

Katz (1960)

Answer 13

Attitude formation understood in terms of needs that attitudes serve

Different motivations

4 key functions: utilitarian/instrumental, ego-defensive, value-expressive, knowledge/ cognitive economy

Question 14

Utilitarian / instrumental function

Kantz (1960)

Answer 14

Motivated to obtain rewards and avoid punishment

Develop positive attitudes to objects that help obtain rewards and reach goals

Negative attitudes to objects that bring punishment or prevent us from achieving our goals

Question 15

Ego-defensive function

Kantz (1960)

Answer 15

Attitudes help protect our self-image

Protect us from unacceptable internal and external threats

Question 16

Value expressive function

Answer 16

Attitudes help us express values that are integral to our self-concept

Help communicate what type of person we are

Question 17

Knowledge/ cognitive economy function

Answer 17

Attitudes act as schemas

Help us:

• organdie information and give a sense of predictability
• act as frame of reference for sorting now info-> streamline info processing

Question 18

Yale approach to persuasion

Answer 18

Source characteristics:

• attractiveness: more attractive
• credibility: high credibility

Message characteristics:
-fear appeals: arouse fear

Audience characteristics

• need for cognition
• self-monitoring: high self-monitors
• regulatory focus/ fits: ‘promotion’ or ‘prevention’ focus

Question 19

Elaboration likelihood model

Petty & Cacioppo (1986)

Answer 19

Control route: more effortful processing

• persuaded by control cues
• strong argument = persuasion
• weak argument = no persuasion

Peripheral route: less effortful, more automatic processing

• persuades by peripheral cues
• cues present = persuasion
• cues absent = no persuasion

Question 20

Cognitive dissonance theory

Festinger (1957)

Answer 20

When two or more of our cognitions are inconsistent, experience unpleasant state of psychological tension

May result when we are aware we behaved in a way inconsistent with our attitudes

If we can’t explain away discrepancy, attempt to reduce dissonance by changing inconsistent cognitions