PSYC6 - Chapter4

Behavior and Attitudes

Attitudes can predict behavior; however, this prediction is not always strongly correlated. For instance, a person may express a positive attitude towards environmental protection yet fail to recycle regularly.
Notable Quote: "The ancestor of every action is a thought." — Ralph Waldo Emerson. This emphasizes the connection between our thoughts and subsequent actions.
Example: Robert Bowers expressed extreme anti-Semitic beliefs through social media posts, which directly correlated with his violent actions during the Tree of Life synagogue shooting. This illustrates how extreme attitudes can manifest in harmful behaviors.

Attitudes: Beliefs and feelings related to a person or event, as defined by Eagly & Chaiken (2005).
Three dimensions of attitudes:
- Affect: The emotional response (feelings) towards an object or idea.
- Behavior tendency: The inclination to act in a certain way based on the attitude.
- Cognition: The thoughts and beliefs connected to the object or idea.

Initial Findings: Allan Wicker (1969) found that expressed attitudes are poor predictors of actual behaviors. It suggests that people may articulate beliefs that don’t align with their actions.
Moral Hypocrisy Studies: Research indicates that individuals often act contrary to their stated moral beliefs. For instance, someone might advocate for honesty yet engage in deceitful practices in certain situations.

Social Influences: Societal norms and peer pressure can significantly shape attitudes, making them less reliable predictors of actual behavior.
Specificity: Attitudes that closely correspond to specific actions predict behavior more accurately. For example, one may express a general pro-environment stance but may or may not engage in specific recycling practices.
Potency: Strong and easily recalled attitudes are better predictors of behavior. Highly emotional or personal topics lead to stronger attitudes, which often translate to action.

Conditions for attitude-behavior prediction:

Minimal outside influences: Reducing social pressure or conflicting influences enhances the likelihood that attitudes will guide behavior.
Specificity of the attitude: General attitudes are less useful than specific ones that relate directly to the situation.
Potency of the attitude: Strong attitudes, which are deeply held and salient, are more likely to lead to corresponding behaviors.

The Implicit Association Test (IAT) measures unconscious attitudes, revealing biases that individuals may not be aware of or willing to express openly.
Combining measures of implicit and explicit attitudes has been found to predict behaviors more accurately than using either form alone. This explains the complexity of human behavior and decision-making.

Role-Playing: Engaging in role-playing exercises can lead individuals to adopt behaviors that ultimately influence their personal attitudes and beliefs. For example, acting as an advocate for a cause can strengthen one’s belief in it.
Cognitive Dissonance Theory: This theory posits that when behaviors contradict existing attitudes, individuals experience discomfort (dissonance), which can lead them to change their attitudes to align with their actions.
Self-Perception Theory: This posits that individuals infer their attitudes based on their behaviors, especially when those attitudes are weak or ambiguous. For example, watching oneself volunteer may lead one to adopt a stronger pro-social attitude.

Dissonance Theory:
- Involves discomfort leading to an adjustment of attitudes after acting in contradiction to one’s beliefs.
- This is particularly strong when there is insufficient external justification for the behavior, motivating individuals to change their attitudes to reduce dissonance.
Self-Perception Theory:
- Suggests that attitudes are formed based on observed behaviors, especially when attitudes prior to the behavior are weak or not strongly held. For example, if someone notices they attended many environmental rallies, they may conclude they care about environmental issues.

To effectively change attitudes or habits, one must often take action before thoughts develop. Engaging in specific behaviors can reinforce or reshape beliefs about oneself and the world.
Active participation in behaviors related to beliefs can lead to a firmer understanding and conviction in those beliefs and attitudes. Thus, involvement and practice play crucial roles in self-definition and attitude formation.