4.2: Attitude Formation and Attitude Change

Attitude

A positive or negative evaulation of people, objects, events, or ideas that can influence behavior.

Explicit Attitudes

Attitudes that we consciously endorse and can easily report.

Implicit Attitudes

Unconscious attitudes that influence our feelings and behaviors without our awareness.

Just-World Phenomenon

The belief that the world is fair and people get what they deserve, often leading to victim-blaming.

Victim-Blaming

Holding victims responsible for their misfortune, often as a way to rationalize the just-world belief.

Out-Group Homogeneity Bias

The perception that members of an out-group are more similar to each other than those in your in-group.

Out-Group

A social group to which a person does not belong or identify.

In-Group

A group that an individual identifies with and feels a sense of belonging to.

In-Group Bias

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

Ethnocentrism

Judging another culture solely by the values and standards of one's own culture.

Cultural Relativism

The practice of understanding and evaluating cultural practices in the context of that specific culture.

Belief Perseverance

The tendency to cling to initial beliefs even when confronted with contradictory evidence.

Stereotypes

Oversimplified generalizations about a group of people.

Prejudiced Attitudes

Negative attitudes toward individuals based on their group membership.

Discriminatory Behavior

Unfair actions directed toward indviduals based on group membership.

Explicit Prejudice

Conscious and intentional negative attitudes toward a group.

Implicit Prejudice

Unconscious negative feelings or beliefs about a group.

Cognitive Dissonance

The mental discomfort experienced when holding two conflicting beliefs or behaviors, often leading to a change in attitude or behavior to reduce the tension.