PSYC2040 WEEK 4

ATTITUDES

• A psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favour or disfavour 

• Can be towards an concrete or abstract object 

INSTRUMENTAL CONDITIONING

Forming attitudes based on rewards and punishments. Linked to utilitarian function.

GOSSIP

Influences impressions regardless of reliability.

ATTITUDES TYPE - CLASSIC UNIDIMENSIONAL APPROACH

• Valence = positive, negative, neutral  

• Strength = weak -> strong 

• Differ from person to person 

• Measured using bipolar scales  

• Assumes attitude can be +ve or –ve, not both 

ATTITUDES TYPE - ATTITUDINAL AMBIVALENCE

Simultaneously holding an attitude of mixed valence towards an attitude object  

ATTITUDE TYPE - BIDIMENSIONAL APPROACH

• People evaluate attitude objects on a separate positive dimension and negative dimension 

• +ve and –ve measured using unipolar scales 

• Can separate true neutral from ambivalent attitudes 

ATTITUDE STRENGTH

• Greater stability/duration over time 

• Better at predicting behaviour 

• More resistant to persuasion 

INDICATORS OF ATTITUDE STRENGTH

Attitude extremity 

• How much an attitudes deviates from normality  

Attitude certainty 

• How sure a person is of their attitude 

Attitude importance 

• How important/relevant an attitude is to a person 

Attitude accessibility  

• How easily an attitude comes to mind 

MORALISATION OF ATTITUDES

• Some attitudes are linked to deeply entrenched beliefs that certain things are 'right' vs 'wrong' 

• Belief attitude is universal and objectively true  

• Intolerance of dissimilar people  

• Greater resistance to compromise, authority 

MORAL MANDATE HYPOTHESIS

Attitudes tied to moral convictions are more powerful influences of behaviour than those that aren't  

TRIPARTITE MODEL OF ATTITUDES

• Positive cognitions + affect + behavioural tendencies = positive attitude 

• Negative cognitions + affect + behavioural tendencies = negative attitude 

SOCIAL ADJUSTIVE FUNCTION

• Help us gain social acceptance and connection, and fit into social groups 

VALUE EXPRESSIVE FUNCTION

• Allows us to express values important to our self-concepts 

EGO DEFENSIVE FUNCTION

• Helps us protect our self-esteem 

UTILIARIAN FUNCTION

• Helps us maximise reward and minimise punishment 

ATTITUDE FORMATION - DIRECT BEHAVIOURAL EXPERIENCE

• Attitude formation from direct experience with attitude object 

• Positive experience = positive attitude 

• Positive experiences are rewarding, negative are punishing.  

• Attitudes formed through direct experience are more predictive of behaviour than not 

ATTITUDE FORMATION - MERE EXPOSURE EFFECT

• Exposure, even without interaction, can elicit a positive attitude towards a novel stimulus.  

• We like things we're exposed to more frequently 

• Effect is only positive when initial attitude is +ve  

  • If –ve, attitude gets worse with exposure.  

ATTITUDE FORMATION - EVALUATIVE CONDITIONING

• Attitudes formed by association 

• Pair novel attitude object with an object you already have +ve/-ve attitude for 

• Celebrity/brand endorsements 

• Ex. Hard to separate between music and musician 

• Spreading attitude effect 

  • Dislike/liked objects may affect attitude of object directly associated to novel object and so forth.  

ATTITUDE FORMATION - OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING

• Adopt the attitudes we see others have towards an object  

• Emerges when very young 

ADDITUDE FORMATION - SOCIAL IDENTITY AND GROUP NORMS

• Social groups often defined by shared attitudes 

• We may be drawn to groups that share our attitudes 

ATTITUDE FORMATION - GENETICS

• Right environmental factors need to be in place for genetic predisposition to manifest 

• Similarities in attitudes more in identical twins 

ATTITUDE FORMATION - DISPOSITIONAL ATTITUDES

• Individual difference in general tendency to like/dislike attitude objects 

• Positive dispositional attitude associated with openness, extraversion, optimism 

ATTITUDES → BEHAVIOUR

• Attitudes are powerful predictor of behaviour  

  • Products -> purchase 

  • People -> interactions 

  • Jobs -> performance  

  • Politicians -> voting 

• Sometimes attitudes don’t predict behaviour 

  • Attitudinal ambivalence  

  • Social norms  

  • Lack of control 

THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOUR

• Behaviour is predicted by behavioural intention 

• Behavioural intention predicted by: 

  • Attitude (behavioural beliefs) 

  • Subjective norms (normative beliefs) 

  • Perceived behavioural control (control beliefs) 

JOB ATTITUDES

• Behaviour linked to motivation  

• Work motivation linked to attitudes 

SELF DETERMINATION THEORY

Intrinsic motivation 

• Doing something because it's interesting/enjoyable 

Extrinsic motivation 

• Doing something because it leads to a separable outcome