Chapter 4 - Behaviuors and Attitudes Flashcards
define attitude
a favourable or unfavourable evaluative reaction towards something or someone exhibited in one’s beliefs, feelings, or intended behaviour
what is an IAT?
implicit association test
it uses reaction times to measure people’s automatic associations between attitudes objects and evaluative words, easier paring are taken to indicate stronger unconscious associations
ex. using this can determine if someone if racist or not
what are the 3 conditions in which attitudes will predict behaviour?
- when we minimize other influence on our attitude statement and our behaviours
- when the attitude is specifically relevant to the observed behaviour
- when it is POTENT, strong and on one’s mind
define norms
rules for accepted and expected behaviours that prescribe proper behaviours
what is the main take away from Zimbardo’s Prison experiment?
that role-playing studies concern how what is unreal can evolve into what is real.
ex. the uni boys playing a role of a guard and then doing behaviours that guards are seen to do like abusing the prisoners.
define gender roles
behaviour expectations for males and females
define the foot-in-the-door phenomenon
the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request
ex. people allowing a small sign first, and then more likely to allow for a large sign 2 weeks later. the first sign makes you think that you believe in it so now you have to continue this behaviour or you feel uncomfortable and then need to adjust your attitudes.
define the low-ball technique
a tactic for getting people to agree to something. people who agree to an initial request will often still comply when the requester ups the ante people who receive only the costly request are less likely to comply with it
define the door-in-the-face technique
tendency for people who have first declined a large request to comply with a subsequent, but smaller, request. this works with the principle of reciprocity.
define self-presentation theory
we express attitudes to make us appear more consistent, even if we pretend (we may even seem hypocritical if it means we maintain the impression we are making)
NOT A PERMANENT CHANGE TO ATTITUDE
ex. factour (wants to make a good impression on romantic partner) influences behaviour (plays with niece to impress them) and your attitudes (says they love kids now)
define cogntivie dissonance
that to reduce discomfort, we justify our actions to ourselves.
it assumes that we feel tension when two simultaneously accessible thoughts or beliefs are psychologically inconsistent- as when we decide to say or do something when we have mixed feelings.
we feel pressured to change either in attitudes or beliefs. when we cant take back out behaviours, we change our attitudes.
- MORE PERMANENT
ex. boring tasks being paid $1 or $20 and having to tell someone it was fun
define self-perception
our actions are self-revealing (when uncertain about our beliefs, we look to our behaviour)
we make similar inferences when we observe our own behaviour.
we infer our attitudes and feelings based on observations of our own behaviour (from past to see how we previously acted)
define insufficient justification
reduction of dissonance by internally justifying one’s behaviour when external justification is insufficient. you almost make you believe what you want to believe to give yourself that justification.
attitudes follow behaviours for which we feel some responsability
ex. doing boring task and having to tell someone it was really fun when you are only getting payed $1
how does dissonance change when you make decisions
after making important decision, we usually reduce dissonance by upgrading the chosen alternative and downgrading the unchosen option
define dissonance
a tension or clash resulting from the combination of two disharmonious or unsuitable elements
give an example for all self adjustments with smoking
presentation: I look like a cool smoker
justification: i know its bad for me, but the statistics arent as awful as they say. I’m very healthy and wont get sick anyways
perception: here i am smoking again, i must like smoking
define the overjustification effect
the result of bribing people to do what they already like doing, they may then see their actions as externally controlled rather than intrinsically appealing
occurs when someone offers an unnecessary reward beforehand in an obvious effort to control behaviour.
define self-affirmation theory
that people often experience self-image threat after engaging in an undesirable behaviour, and they compensate for this threat by affirming another aspect of the self.
threaten people’s self-conepts in one domain, and they will compensate by refocusing or doing good deeds in another domain,
define attitudes
beliefs or feelings related to a person or an event
define evaluative conditioning
a change in liking, whihc occurs due to an association with a positive or negative stimulus
ex. hot girl in burger commercial with typically America things. makes you like the burger more because you link it to being American which you say you are.
define the mere-exposure effect
people tend to develop liking or disliking for things merely because they are familiar with them.
ex. having certain people show their class in face a different amount of times with no interaction. the more shown face, people tend to say that they looked more likable but not familaire.
define moral hypocrisy
you want to appear as a moral person, but don’t live those morals out.
ex. saying that you will give someone the easier tasks, but when allowed to flip a coin in private, you are more likely to make the results in your favourite because you can blame the odds on the coins.
what are the 3 theories that show when behaviour predicts attitudes?
self-presentation, cognitive dissonance, and self-perception
what study showed that postures affect behaviour in relation to self-perception?
A study explained that depending on your posture, it would change the way you thought about yourself and your future.
