PSY2042_Attitudes_and_Attitude_Change__1_

Monash University: Attitudes and Attitude Change - PSY2042

Course Overview

• Course Name: Personality and Social Psychology

• Instructor: Dr. Swati Mujumdar

• Contact: swati.mujumdar@monash.edu

• Affiliation: Group of Eight, Australia

Prescribed Readings

• Personality and Social Psychology (Custom Edition)

• Chapters: 7 (pp. 204 – 221, 226 – 228, 235 - 238)

Acknowledgment of Country

• Monash University recognizes its campuses are on unceded lands of the Kulin Nations and respects their Elders.

Personal Reflections on Attitudes

• Discuss your attitudes towards:

  • Reading books

  • Same-sex marriages

  • Public figures (e.g., Donald Trump, Kamala Harris)

  • Social interactions

• Reflect on the formation of these attitudes.

Understanding Attitudes

Definition of Attitudes

• Attitudes reflect feelings like:

  • Like

  • Dislike

  • Prefer

  • Love

  • Uncertain

• They range from intense feelings to being less important, yet they tend to be stable over time.

Historical Context

• The study of attitudes emerged in social sciences post-1920.

• Origin: Latin aptus, meaning fit and ready for action.

• Various definitions include:

  • Banaji & Heiphetz (2010): Evaluations of people, objects, or ideas.

  • Eagly & Chaiken (1993): Psychological tendency involving favoring or disfavoring an entity.

Types of Attitudes

• Positive Attitudes: Focus on the good, leading to positive outcomes.

• Negative Attitudes: Often overlook positives, resulting in negative outcomes.

Components and Origins of Attitudes

One, Two, and Three-Component Models

• One-component model (Thurstone): Affect only.

• Two-component model (Allport): Affect + mental readiness.

• Three-component model: Thought + feeling + action.

Origins of Attitudes

• Beliefs: Cognitive component based on properties of attitude objects.

• Affect: Emotional responses stemming from beliefs.

• Behavior: Observations of own behavior influence attitude formation.

Conditioning and Attitude Formation

• Classical Conditioning: Learning through association.

• Operant Conditioning: Reinforcement influences attitudes.

• Observational Learning: Social media exposure plays a significant role in shaping attitudes.

Implicit and Explicit Attitudes

Implicit Attitudes

• Involuntary and automatic evaluations, measured by physiological indicators and the Implicit Association Test (IAT).

Explicit Attitudes

• Deliberate evaluations, typically measured through self-report inventories or questionnaires.

• Differences between implicit and explicit attitudes can influence behavior variably.

Functions of Attitudes

• Attitudes serve various purposes as outlined by Daniel Katz (1960):

  • Adaptive Function: Help achieve goals and avoid punishment.

  • Knowledge Function: Provide understanding and predictability.

  • Value Expressive Function: Allow expression of self-concept and values.

  • Ego Defense Function: Protects from damaging information, even causing bias.

Attitudes and Behavior

Predicting Behavior

• Attitudes do not always directly predict behavior (LaPiere’s 1930 study).

• Key conditions for attitudes to predict behavior include:

  • Accessibility of attitudes.

  • Specific attitudes that align closely with behaviors.

  • Strength of the attitude.

Theory of Planned Behavior

• Predictors of behavior include:

  • Attitudes: How favorable/unfavorable they are.

  • Subjective Norms: Perception of how others will view the behavior.

  • Perceived Behavioral Control: The ease of performing the behavior.

Connection Between Attitudes and Behavior

• Attitudes will predict behavior under certain conditions:

  • Minimization of other influences.

  • Attitudes closely correspond to predicted behavior (e.g., voting).

  • The potency of the attitude in context.

Attitude Change

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

• We strive for internal harmony in our attitudes and beliefs.

• Inconsistencies lead to psychological discomfort, prompting rationalization to reduce dissonance.

Influences on Attitude Change

• Persuasive Communication: Factors include the communicator's credibility, the nature of the message, and characteristics of the audience (e.g., self-esteem, age).

Models of Persuasion

• Elaboration-Likelihood Model:

  • Central Route: Involves deep processing and stronger argument.

  • Peripheral Route: Involves superficial cues and less critical engagement with the message.

Advertising and Attitude Change

Advertising Strategies

• Methods include Bandwagon effects, emotional appeals, and celebrity endorsements to influence consumer attitudes.

Practical Applications

• Techniques include product placement and public health campaigns, evoking emotional responses to alter consumer behavior.

Attitude Inoculation

• Providing information to build resistance against persuasive messages, particularly relevant for adolescents facing peer pressure.

Summary

Key Takeaways

• Attitudes are multidimensional evaluations including affect, behavior, and cognition.

• They serve significant functions in daily life and can influence behavior under specific conditions.

• Attitudes can change through persuasion, advertising, and the practice of resisting persuasive pressures.