Attitude: is a positive, negative or mixed evaluation or reaction to a person, object, or idea, expressed at some level of intensity

How Attitudes Are Measured: (a) self reports - opinion polls or attitude scales that use multiple questions to assess attitudes toward a particular person, object or idea (b) covert measures - facial EMG or IAT

Are Attitudes And Behaviour Linked?: (a) sometimes yes, sometimes no (b) hold an attitude but act a different way (c) difference of saying versus doing

When Do Attitudes Correspond To Behaviour: (a) when attitudes concerns a specific rather than general, behaviour (b) when we think others feel we should engage in target behaviours (c) we feel we have the confidence to engage in the target behaviour

Theory Of Planned Behaviour: theory that attitudes toward a specific behaviour combine with subjective norms and perceived control to influence a person’s actions

Two Routes Of Persuasion: (a) central route - person thinks carefully about a message ex. influenced by quality and strength of message (b) peripheral route - person does not think critically about the contents of a message ex. influenced by superficial cues like picture of attractive person or humourous cartoon

The Elements Of Persuasion: “who says what to whom, with what effect?” (a) who - the communicator (b) what - the message (c) to whom - the audience

Cognitive Dissonance: when two cognitions or an attitude and a behaviour are inconsistent, people feel dissonance and are motivated to reduce dissonance

Cognitive Dissonance Theory: inconsistent cognitions arouse psychological tension that people become motivated to reduce