Beliefs, attitudes, and values Flashcards
What are beliefs?
Beliefs refer to the ideas, opinions, or outlook that individuals hold to be true
Examples of Beliefs:
Self Generated beliefs
Experience: Beliefs can develop due to an experience an individual has had. This is a powerful way beliefs are formed because it has been proven to an individual in a practical way.
Reflection: This is a process people use to explain the world around them. It involves the internal processing of a concept to work out what they believe.
Externally Generated beliefs
Experts: Researching literature, seeking information and advice from people highly qualified is a common way to generate beliefs.
Authority: Some positions of leadership bring with the power that people will believe what they say purely because of the title they hold. They may not have any evidence or be an expert in their field, but people believe what they say anyway.
What are values:
Are deeply held principles or standards that individuals consider important and desirable. They are a measure of worth or importance a person attached to something.
Formation of values
Values vary based on culture, ethnicity, demographics and other factors such as peers.
Individuals develop an intrinsic set of values from childhood and then these. change as they mature based on socioeconomic factors and social conditions.
Example values
What are attitudes?
Are evaluative judgments or emotional depositions toward people, objects, or ideas
Formation of attitudes:
Attitudes have three common components:
1: The cognitive component - thoughts and beliefs people hold
2: The affective component - Emotional feelings
3: The behavioural component - Predispositions to act in a certain way
Example attitudes:
What is cognitive dissonance?
Is a term that describes how people experience discomfort t\when they hold two or more conflicting thoughts, beliefs, values or attitudes at the same thime.
What ate 4 examples of cognitive dissonance?
Unhealthy Eating: Eating unhealthy foods despite knowing its adverse health affects. This may eventually motivate a diet overhaul to return to cognitive balance.
Education conflict: Believing in the value of education while failing to complete school assignments may lead to changes in study behaviours to fix the dissonance.
Smoking vs Health: Smoking is generally known to be harmful to health, yet people continue to smoke despite this knowledge. It presents a cognitive dissonance for the smoker who must accept that their behaviour contradicts their beliefs about health and well-being.
How does the media influence beliefs attitudes and values?
The media aims to change beliefs and values of consumers and as such their attitude toward an idea, opinion or object
How do family influence beliefs, attitudes and values?
Shaping beliefs, attitudes and values occurs from birth. Families shape and impose particular ideas, values and behaviour at a young age (Cleaning room, eating at the table, manners, etc)
What is a social norm?
Social norms and expectations that reflect behaviours that are established and approved within a society
