Attitudes and persuasion Flashcards
What are the four sources of attitude formation?
- Classical conditioning
- Operant conditioning
- Observational learning
- Heredity/genetics
Classical conditioning is exemplified by Pavlov’s dog experiment, which demonstrates how associations can form attitudes.
Define explicit attitudes.
Deliberate, conscious, and easy to self-report through surveys, questionnaires, or interviews
Explicit attitudes are those that individuals are aware of and can express.
Define implicit attitudes.
Automatic, involuntary, and measured using tasks like the IAT (Implicit Association Task)
Implicit attitudes are often revealed through reaction time measurements.
What methodologies are used for measuring attitudes?
- Explicit: surveys, questionnaires, interviews
- Implicit: Implicit Association Task (IAT), Affective Misattribution Procedure (AMP)
IAT calculates a reaction-time bias, while AMP assesses preferences based on ratings of neutral images after priming.
What are the two components of a strong attitude that make it resistant to change?
- Commitment
- Embeddedness
Commitment reflects certainty in the correctness of the attitude, while embeddedness indicates that the attitude is part of one’s self-concept.
List factors that influence attitude-behavior consistency.
- Knowledge
- Personal relevance
- Attitude accessibility
- Behavioral intentions
Personal relevance is highlighted in studies, such as those examining the drinking age and its impact on different age groups.
What is the definition of persuasion in terms of attitude change?
Actual change in a private attitude or belief as a result of receiving a message
Persuasion is a key concept in understanding how attitudes can be influenced.
Identify the factors that influence attitude change.
- Who (source of communication)
- What (quality of arguments)
- Whom (nature of audience)
The effectiveness of persuasion is contingent on these three factors.
What are the two routes of the Elaboration Likelihood Model?
- Central route: focuses on quality of arguments, requires motivation and ability
- Peripheral route: focuses on superficial aspects, requires low motivation or ability
The central route involves thoughtful consideration, while the peripheral route relies on heuristic cues.
Explain Balance Theory in terms of attitude change.
Cognitive balance is desired; discomfort occurs with imbalance, prompting change
Balance Theory suggests that we prefer to hold consistent relationships with liked or disliked individuals.
Define cognitive dissonance.
Discomfort felt due to inconsistencies between attitudes, beliefs, and behavior
An example is being a smoker (behavior) while believing that smoking causes cancer (belief/attitude).
What factors increase cognitive dissonance?
- Insufficient justification for the behavior
- Free choice of the actor
- Action is irreversible
Dissonance is more likely when choices are made freely and without strong external incentives.
What is post-decisional dissonance?
Conflict felt when a decision could possibly be wrong
This occurs particularly when the decision may have negative consequences.
How is cognitive dissonance reduced?
By changing attitudes or beliefs to remove unpleasant arousal
This can involve rationalization or changing behaviors to align with beliefs.
