Attitudes, Persuasion, and Prejudice

These flashcards cover key concepts related to attitudes, persuasion, and prejudice, providing definitions and explanations to aid in exam preparation.

Attitude

A learned predisposition to respond cognitively, affectively, and behaviorally to a person or thing.

Cognitive dissonance theory

A state of tension that arises when a person holds two contradictory beliefs or when their behavior does not align with their attitudes.

Explicit attitude

An attitude that someone is consciously aware of and can report.

Implicit attitude

An involuntary and uncontrollable attitude that may influence behavior without conscious awareness.

Social comparison

The process of comparing ourselves to others to evaluate our own attitudes and beliefs.

Yale attitude change approach

An approach that examines the effectiveness of persuasive messages based on the characteristics of the source, the message, and the audience.

Includes:

WHO: who is talking, credible or attractive speakers have larger influence

WHAT: people more influenced when the message doesn't seem designed to influence them 

TO WHOM: low IQ, people 18-25, distracted audiences are more likely to be influenced 

Elaboration likelihood model

A theory that specifies when people will be influenced by central or peripheral cues in persuasive communications with either central or peripheral

Central route (persuasion)

A method of persuasion that relies on logical reasoning and the quality of the arguments presented.

Peripheral route (persuasion)

A method of persuasion that relies on superficial cues, such as the attractiveness of the speaker or the length of the message.

Effort justification

The tendency to justify the effort or resources expended to attain a goal, often downplaying negative aspects.

Stereotype threat

The concern that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype, which can impair performance.

Ingroup bias

The tendency to favor members of one's own group over those of others.

Contact theory

The idea that intergroup contact can reduce prejudice when certain conditions are met, such as having a common goal.

Groupthink

A phenomenon where the desire for harmony in a decision-making group leads to irrational or dysfunctional outcomes.

Social loafing

The tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually.

Deindividuation

A psychological state in which individuals lose their sense of self-awareness and accountability in groups.

Conformity

A change in behavior or belief as a result of real or imagined group pressure.

Self-fulfilling prophecy

A belief or expectation that causes itself to come true.

Theory of planned behavior

A theory that links beliefs and behavior, focusing on attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control.

• Attitude towards the behavior: if you dont think exercise is important then you won't go to the gym

• Subjective norms: you might change your behavior if other people think the gym is important, then you will feel pressured to go and that influences your behavior  

• Perceived behavioral control: if the gym isn't accessible or you don't have time then the perceived control is low

implicit association test

measuring how fast and accurate people categorize words and images, reveals subconscious biases

ex: categorizing flowers versus insects, then when shown positive or negative worlds there will be a reaction time different and be quicker with flowers and the pleasant condition

reactance theory

• making choices on your own, voluntarily making adjustments not under pressure 

  • Ex: when people feel constrained it makes them want to act out more (DO NOT LITTER → more people will litter)