CH 4 Behavior and Attitudes Flashcards
When do attitudes predict behavior?
When social influences are minimal, the attitude is specific, and it is strong.
What is cognitive dissonance? Provide an example
Discomfort from conflicting beliefs and actions. Example: Believing smoking is bad but still smoking.
How do people reduce cognitive dissonance?
By changing their behavior, altering their beliefs, or rationalizing their actions
What is the self-perception theory, and how does it differ from cognitive dissonance theory?
We infer attitudes from behavior, unlike cognitive dissonance, which causes discomfort when attitudes and behavior conflict.
What is the overjustification effect?
Receiving external rewards for something we enjoy can reduce intrinsic motivation.
How do moral and immoral acts influence future behavior?
Moral acts encourage further ethical behavior, while immoral acts can lead to justification and continuation of wrongdoing.
What is the difference between public conformity and private acceptance?
Public conformity is changing behavior to fit in but not truly believing in it.
Private acceptance means genuinely adopting the new belief.
How does the theory of planned behavior explain the link between attitudes and actions?
The theory states that attitudes influence behavior when combined with:
Subjective norms (what others think).
Perceived control (how easy or hard the behavior is)
What is selective exposure, and how does it impact belief reinforcement?
Selective exposure is the tendency to seek out information that supports existing beliefs, reinforcing and strengthening attitudes.
How does social role-playing affect identity and long-term behavior?
Role-playing can shape identity by influencing long-term attitudes and behaviors, as seen in the Stanford Prison Experiment.
