4.2 Attitude Formation and Attitude Change

Belief Perseverance

Holding onto your beliefs even when there is strong evidence against them.

• Example: Still believing something after it’s been proven false.

Ethnocentrism

Belief that your own culture or group is better than others.

• Example: Thinking your traditions are the “right” way and others are wrong.

Other-Race Effect

The tendency to recognize faces of your own race more easily than those of other races.

Cognitive Dissonance

The uncomfortable feeling when your actions and beliefs don’t match.

• Example: Knowing smoking is bad but still smoking → feeling uneasy.

Implicit Attitude

Unconscious beliefs or feelings that affect your behavior without you realizing it.

• Example: Automatically associating certain traits with a group.

Out-Group Homogeneity Bias

Seeing people in other groups as more similar to each other than they actually are.

• Example: “They all act the same.”

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to look for and remember information that supports your beliefs, while ignoring opposing evidence.

Ingroup Bias

The tendency to favor your own group over others.

• Example: Thinking your team is better just because it’s yours.

Prejudice

A negative attitude or feeling toward a group and its members.

• This is about thinking/feeling, not acting.

Discrimination

Unfair actions or behaviors toward a group.

• This is prejudice put into action.

Just-World Phenomenon

The belief that people get what they deserve and deserve what they get.

• Example: Blaming someone for their bad situation because “they must’ve done something.”

Stereotype

A generalized belief about a group of people.

• Example: Assuming all people in a group act the same way.