Ch. 6 - Attitudes Flashcards
Attitudes
Immediate positive or negative reactions to things
How are attitudes measured?
- attitude scales (Likert)
- Covert measures (Electro sensory stuff)
- IAT
Genetic basis of Attitudes
likely based on genetic physical, sensory, and cognitive abilities
Evaluative Conditioning
Forming an Attitude on a neutral Stimulus due to an association with something Positive or negative
Theory of Planned Behaviour
Behaviour is limited by active decision making
4 ways behaviour is influenced
- less by attitudes than by attitudes towards a specific behaviour
- Subjective norms
- is the behaviour within our control
- attitudes contribute to intentions more than actual behaviours
Subjective Norms
Beliefs about what others would think one should do
3 Factors on Strong and Weak Attitudes
- Effect on one’s own self interest
- Relation to deeply held values (philosophy, religious, political)
- concern to close friends, family, and social in-groups
Persuasion
The process by which attitudes are changed
Central Route to Persuasion
Careful thought about information
- influence is based on the strength and quality of the argument
- how a neutral party might be able to change someone’s opinion
Elaboration
Using the information gained from persuasion to form new thoughts
- Last step of Persuasion
reception
The learning of an argument (people have to understand an argument to accept it)
- First step of persuasion
Acceptance
The internalization of an argument
- second step of persuasion
Peripheral route to persuasion
Focus on superficial cues rather than the actual information
- Reputation
- other peoples’ opinions
-
Three factors to any act of persuasion
- Source
- Message
- Audience
Attitude Embodiment effects
Physical activities embodying emotions or ideas
- shaking/nodding head
- can be culturally variable
Factors Affecting Credibility of a source
Competence
Trustworthiness
Factors affecting the Likeability of a Source
- Similarity to audience
- Physical attractiveness
Primacy Effect
Bias towards earlier data in a set
- better when more time has passed
Recency effect
Bias towards last data
- more of an effect when recent
Message discrepancy
Difference between the desired change and the messaging
- better to be more moderate and cautious than to “shoot high, strike low”
Emotional Appeals
Very persuasive on basic and instinctive reactions
Fear appeals
Very effective, depending on the argument
Positive emotions’ effects on persuasion
- Cognitively distracting
- makes people lazy at info processing
- Motivates people to savour the moment and less likely
*A study on students found them more likely to be persuaded against their interest (tuition hikes) when happy
Subliminal effect on Persuasion
no solid evidence for this
- Subliminal messaging must happen at an opportune time to effect behaviour
Factors effecting the reception of a message
Personality
Expectations
Need for Cognition (NC)
How much people enjoy and participate in effortful cognitive activities
- High NC people tend to like central path to persuasion, whereas low-NC people prefer the peripheral
Self Monitoring in Persuasion
High Self monitors prefer messages that promise desirable social images and imagery based marketing, whereas Low Self Monitors prefer info-based messages
- e.g. High SMs prefer monster, Low SMs prefer 5-hour energy
Inoculation Hypothesis
Once you’ve been exposed to an argument a few times, you are less likely to be effected by it
Psychological Resistance
We resist changing our opinions in order to protect our autonomy
- Can result in Negative Attitude Change
Negative Attitude Change
Changing one’s attitude to be further from the one trying to persuade them
- happens when the opposition comes on too strong
Role Playing in Self Persuasion
We become more like the roles that we play
Self Generated persuasion
when people argue for something, they become more in support of it
Cognitive Dissonance Theory
When we have conflicting attitudes and actions, we change our perception of one of them to feel more consistent
5 techniques used to reduce cognitive dissonance
- Changing your attitude (I don’t need to be on a diet)
- Changing your perception of the behaviour (I hardly ate any ice crea,)
- Add consonant cognitions (rationalize; ice cream is nutritious)
- Minimize the importance of the dissonance (I don’t care anyways)
- Reduce perceived choice (I had no choice, it was a special occasion)
Attitude Discrepancy
When one’s behaviours and attitudes are in conflict, and trigger cognitive dissonance
Insufficient justification
When people don’t have enough justification for their actions, they change their perception of the action
- tedious study example
Insufficient Deterrence
A condition in which people refrain from engaging in a desirable activity, even when only mild punishment is threatened
Level of Choice in Cognitive Dissonance
High levels of Choice results in insufficient justification
*Grass skirt/coconut bra example; resulted in underestimation of the distance walked
Four steps necessary for the Arousal and Reduction of Dissonance
- Negative consequences
- Responsibility
- Physiological Arousal
- attribution of Arousal to behaviour
Arousal of dissonance
- Negative consequences
- Responsibility
- Degree of Choice
- Forseeability of consequences
Reduction of dissonance
- Physiological Arousal as a result of dissonance
- attribution of arousal to their behaviour
Self Perception theory of Cognitive Dissonance
People infer how they feel based on their behaviour, so they are rationalizing the cognitive dissonance that way
Impression Management theory of Cognitive Dissonance
More about APPEARING consistent than actually BEING consistent
Self Esteem theory of Cognitive Dissonance
Acts that evoke dissonance threaten the self-concept
Behavioural Ethics
How individuals behave when facing temptations to behave unethically
- Unintentional
- Intentional
Moral Licensing
The justification of misdeeds due to previous good deeds
