Chapter 4 - Behaviour and Attitudes

Are our attitudes good predictors for behaviours?

No. 

When are our attitudes potent?

This occurs when our social influences are minimal and so our attitudes are specific to our behaviours. Hence, creating attitude potency.

When does our behaviour shape our attitudes?

1. When we take on a role, what we have to do for that role can shape our attitudes 

2. When we state a belief (even if we don’t believe it) our attitudes can shift towards that 

3. When we engage in small actions inconsistent with our attitudes, these small actions can lead to larger actions that can dramatically shape our attitudes and behaviour over time

4. When we engage in moral or evil acts, these actions can powerfully shape our attitudes

5. When we participate in social movements, our actions can profoundly shape our attitudes.

Why do our behaviours affect our attitudes so much?

1. Because we want to present ourselves to the world as consistently rational people

2. Our behaviours also affect our attitudes because holding beliefs that are inconsistent with our actions is arousing and uncomfortable. Because it is often easier to change our beliefs than our actions, we change our beliefs to match our actions and reduce the discomfort

Define cognitive dissonance theory. 

A state of mental discomfort that occurs when a person holds beliefs or opinions that don’t match with an aspect of their behaviour.

What is cognitive dissonance theory best at explaining?

What happens when the discrepancy between attitudes and behaviour is large.

What is self-perception theory best at explaining?

What happens when the discrepancy between attitudes and behaviour is small.

Define door in the face technique.

A strategy where someone asks for a large, unreasonable request, and then a smaller, more reasonable, request was actually the goal the whole time.

Define foot in the door phenomenon.

When someone makes an easy-to-agree-to request first, which then increases the likelihood that the person will agree to a subsequent, larger request.

Explain insufficient justification. 

When someone acts in a way that contradicts their beliefs or attitudes but lacks a strong external reason (like a large reward or threat) to do so.

Define the low-ball technique.

When an initial, attractive offer is used to get someone to commit to an action, after which the offer's terms are changed to be less favourable, but the person still agrees due to commitment and cognitive dissonance.

Define the over-justification effect.

When external rewards, such as money or prizes, reduce a person's internal motivation and enjoyment of an activity they previously found rewarding in itself.

Explain the self-affirmation theory. 

The idea that when people experience a threat to their self-image after engaging in an undesirable behaviour, they compensate for this threat by affirming another aspect of the self.

ie. Threaten people’s self-concept in one domain, and they will compensate either by refocusing or by doing good deeds in some other domain.

Define the self-perception theory.

When people infer their own attitudes and feelings by observing their own behaviours and the circumstances in which they occur, much like an external observer would.