7.1 Distinguish between attitudes and beliefs: Understand roles of each in psychology.
7.2 Characterize the major accounts of attitude formation: Identify how attitudes develop.
7.3 Use cognitive dissonance theory: Explain the connection between attitudes and consistency.
7.4 Discuss research evidence for and against attitudes predicting behavior: Evaluate studies on this relationship.
7.5 Explain beliefs functionalities and phenomena: Explore their purpose in human cognition.
7.6 Discuss self-validation theory: Understand implications in practical settings.
Attitudes can be expressed through various means, especially in digital communication.
Example: Vote Badges in The Orville show public opinions on actions.
Neurological adjustments occur for negative feedback such as over 10 million downvotes.
Attitudes: Global evaluations toward objects/issues.
Beliefs: Pieces of information about specific topics.
Individuals may hold dual attitudes: differing evaluations towards the same object.
Explicit Attitudes: Deliberate and reflective, thought-out evaluations.
Implicit Attitudes: Automatic, fast, and gut-level responses.
Attitudes categorize experiences into good and bad, aiding in decision-making.
Facilitates quicker choices and enhances the decision-making process.
Mere Exposure: The tendency to develop a liking for things through repeated exposure, ineffective if initial dislike exists.
Embodied Attitudes: Physical movements can influence attitudes.
Classical Conditioning: Associating a neutral stimulus with a response through repetition.
Operant Conditioning: Encourages repetition of rewarded behaviors while deterring punished behaviors.
Social Learning: Imitation of behaviors observed in others based on rewards or punishments.
Attitude Polarization: Attitudes intensify as individuals reflect on their beliefs, potentially biasing evidence evaluation.
Theories highlight the need for consistency in cognitions, with unpleasantness associated with inconsistencies prompting restoration efforts.
Cognitive Dissonance Theory: Discomfort arises from cognitive inconsistencies leading to rationalization or attitude changes.
Effort Justification: Individuals internalize that hard work and sacrifice were worthwhile.
Post-decision Dissonance: Cognitive dissonance occurring post-choice, alleviated by enhancing chosen alternatives and downplaying rejected ones.
Dissonance relates to emotional arousal and the expectation of consistency in behavior.
Influences on self-presentation and media role in reinforcing views are significant.
Involves both automatic detection of inconsistencies and deliberate rationalization or rethinking of those inconsistencies.
The debate is illustrated by:
Gordon Allport: Emphasized the importance of attitudes in psychology.
Alan Wicker: Considered attitudes trivial and peripheral.
A–B Problem: Inconsistency between attitudes and behaviors poses challenges.
Attitudes are more predictive of specific behaviors when measured precisely.
Aggregation combines multiple attitudes across varied behaviors to assess broader patterns.
Context influences how general attitudes impact specific behaviors.
Accessibility: Ease of recalling an attitude influences behavior.
Behavioral Intentions: Shaped by subjective norms and perceived control beliefs about the behavior's feasibility.
Believing: Automatic process while doubting requires conscious engagement.
Belief Perseverance: Formed beliefs maintain resistance to change despite contrary evidence.
Beliefs assist in making sense of experiences and in coping with stress and trauma.
Cognitive Coping: Central roles of beliefs in recovery from adversity with strategies like downward and upward comparison.
Assumptive Worlds: Human social environments operate on beliefs about the benevolence and fairness of the world, including self-perception.
Religious frameworks can aid in stress management, providing a basis for effective coping strategies.
Individuals may hold irrational beliefs lacking logical foundations, leading to increased anxiety and lower self-esteem.
Self-Validation Theory: Emphasizes the significance of perceived validity in creating impactful beliefs and attitudes.
Beliefs: Information viewed as true; Attitudes: Broad evaluations towards objects.
Various methods exist to resolve cognitive inconsistencies.