Chapter 6 (2 of 2)

Chapter 6: Attitudes Overview

• Definition of attitudes: Evaluative statements or judgments concerning objects, people, or events.

• Components of attitudes:

  • Affective: Emotional response to an object.

  • Behavioral: Actions taken based on the attitude.

  • Cognitive: Beliefs and thoughts about the object.

• Importance of understanding attitudes in organizational behavior.

Attitude-Behavior Consistency

• People often base attitudes on prototypes but may behave differently if situations don't match.

• Example: Attitudes may reflect a general disapproval of smoking, but behaviors can contradict this view.

• Behavior consistency enhances when the social context aligns with where attitudes are expressed.

Predicting Attitudes & Behaviors

• Attitudes may not predict behaviors effectively, but behaviors can influence attitudes.

• Changing behaviors can lead to changes in attitudes for alignment.

Cognitive Dissonance

• Definition: Cognitive dissonance is a psychological state arising from holding conflicting beliefs or behaviors.

• Dissonance is lower when pre-existing attitudes are weak, as there's no significant sense of inconsistency.

Dissonance & Self-Concept

• Dissonance arises when behavior conflicts with valued attitudes, threatening self-concept.

• Inconsistency triggers cognitive dissonance, prompting the need to restore harmony between attitudes and behaviors.

Dissonance Reduction Strategies

1. Changing Beliefs: Adjusting beliefs to align with behaviors (e.g., downplaying smoking risks).

2. Justification: Rationalizing actions to explain discrepancies (e.g., smoking only in social situations).

Decision Dissonance

• After making a decision, individuals may downplay negatives of the chosen option and emphasize positives.

• Relates to buyer's remorse; involves coping with the consequences of choices.

Effort Justification

• We justify the time, effort, or resources spent on disappointing outcomes to reduce dissonance.

• Greater effort increases dissonance and the need to rationalize the experience.

• Sufficient justification can reduce the pressure for rationalization, while insufficient justification may increase it.

Free vs. Forced Choices

• Free choice leads to dissonance when actions conflict with beliefs, necessitating rationalization.

• Forced choices do not create dissonance as the individual lacks control over the decision.

Self-Perception Theory

• Individuals determine their attitudes by reflecting on their behaviors ("I must feel this way since I acted this way").

• Unlike cognitive dissonance theory, it suggests rational processes rather than emotional distress help interpret attitudes when prior beliefs are weak.