Attitudes

What is attitude in psychology?

• Mental and emotional evaluations about objects or behaviours

• Shape how we perceive and respond to the world

• Understanding them can help change and predict behaviour

What is the tri-partite model of attitudes?

• Affect (feelings)

Shape

• cognition (beliefs)

Influence

• behaviour (actions)

What are values?

• Broad / abstract ideals or principles that individuals consider important in life

• General and enduring

What is the difference between values and attitudes?

Value: I value ideal/ principle (equality)

Attitude: I strongly support specific objects/ people / behaviours (equal pay legislation )

What are opinions?

• Verbal or written expressions of our attitudes

• What we say we believe or feel about a topic

• Sometimes doesn't match individual's true attitudes

What is the difference between opinions and attitudes?

• Opinion: "I love classical music “

• Attitude: find classical music relaxing and pleasing (internal evaluation that remains unspoken )

What are schemas?

• Cognitive frameworks that help us organise and interpret info

• What something typically is or does

• Descriptive knowledge or "blueprints “ for how events or categories operate

What is the difference between schemas and attitudes?

Schema: knowing Beyoncé is a celebrity

Attitude: feeling positively about Beyoncé and wanting to buy tickets to her concert ( includes an evaluation )

What is wicker's opinion on the relationship between attitudes and behaviours?

• Overall weak correlations between attitude and behaviour

• Attitudes do not predict behaviour well

What are fishbein and ajzen's opinions on the relationship between attitudes and behaviours?

• Attitudes are more likely to predict behaviour if both measured at the same level of specificity

• Action

• Target

• Context

• Time

What are other factors in predicting behaviour?

• Social norms: desire to fit in /avoid punishment can override strong attitudes

• Strength of attitude: strongly held / personally relevant/ accessible in memory predict behaviour more reliably

• Situational constraints: resources/ opportunity ,time/ convenience

What is mcguire's theory of chain of persuasion?

A message must clear multiple hurdles before it can change behaviour

• exposure - must notice/ attend message

• Comprehension

• Yielding - accept or agree with message ( attitude change)

• Retention

• Action

What is Fishbein and Ajzen's theory of reasoned action?

• strongest predictor of behavior is intention

• attitude influences behaviour indirectly by influencing intention

• behvioural beliefs - what benefits or drawbacks do i associate with doing this?

• outcome evaluations - how important are those outcomes to me

• normative beliefs - do significant others approve or dissaprove

• motivation to comply - how important is it for me to obey their wishes?

What is intention?

conscious plan or decision ti engage (or not) in a specific behaviour

What is subjective norm?

perceived social pressure to perform or not perform a behaviour

What is Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour?

• extends theory of reasoned action - adds perceived behavioural control

• how much control (perceived and actual) a person thinks they have over performing a behaviour

• if you belive you can do something, you’re more likely to form a strong intention to do it

Attitude - perceived consequences of performing the behaviour

subjective norm - beliefs about what other (important) people think about this

behavioural control - perceived resources or skills to do it

• lead to behavioural intention

• lead to behaviour

What are the shortcomings of the theory of planned behaviour?

• spontaneous behaviour

• habits

• emotional factors

• unconscious influences

How can we measure attitudes?

• ask them (self report)

• watch what they do (behaviour)

What are the limitations of self reporting behaviour?

• willingness to accurately disclose ( social desirability)

• ability to accurately disclose ( lack of introspective insight)

• awareness ( unconscious attitudes and biases)

What are the limitations of monitoring behaviour?

• willingness to accurately disclose

• difficult to monitor and interpret

What is the implicit association test (IAT)?

• reaction time based measure designed to detect implicit attitude

• present stimuli and have participants categorise them as fast and accurately as possible

What are the limitations of the IAT?

• strong implicit bias does not match a persons stated beliefs or how they act

• influenced by cultural norms, media exposure, recent experiences

• scores can fluctuate over time (test-retest reliability)

• extent to which it can predict real world behaviours is debated (predictive validity)