The ABC Model of Attitudes and Prejudice: Affect, Behavior, and Cognition

Overview of Attitudes

  • An attitude is defined as the specific way an individual feels, thinks, or behaves regarding a particular object, person, or group.
  • Attitudes are characterized by their valence, meaning they can be either positive or negative:
    • Positive Attitude Example: Milly, a resident of Seattle in the Pacific Northwest, has a positive attitude toward individuals who maintain a healthy diet.
    • Negative Attitude Example: Milly exhibits a negative attitude toward individuals who possess Southern accents.
  • While attitudes generally involve a combination of feelings and thoughts that influence actions, a person's affect and cognition do not always align with their actual behavior.

The ABC Model of Attitudes and Prejudice

The ABC Model is a psychological framework used to break down attitudes into three primary components: affect, behavior, and cognition. These components correspond directly to the social psychology concepts of prejudice, discrimination, and stereotypes.

  • A is for Affect (Emotion):

    • Definition: In psychology, "affect" refers to the emotional aspect of an attitude.
    • Connection to Prejudice: When a person's feelings about another individual are based solely on that individual's membership in a specific group, it is called prejudice.
    • Case Example: Milly's affect regarding people with Southern accents is negative; she simply does not like them. Because this dislike is based on a group characteristic (the accent) rather than the individual, it constitutes prejudice.

  • B is for Behavior (Action):

    • Definition: This component encompasses the specific actions or conduct a person takes.
    • Connection to Discrimination: Taking action against a person due to their membership in a group is defined as discrimination.
    • Case Example: Milly works with a man from Georgia who has a deep Southern accent. She refuses to be friends with him. This refusal to engage in a friendship based on his regional background is an act of discrimination.

  • C is for Cognition (Thought Processes):

    • Definition: Cognition refers to the mental processes, thoughts, and beliefs a person holds.
    • Connection to Stereotypes: A belief or set of beliefs about a group of people is called a stereotype.
    • Case Example: Milly believes that all people with Southern accents are "stupid and racist." Even though this belief is not factually true for all individuals in that group, it serves as the cognitive basis (stereotype) for her attitude.

Predicting Behavior: The LaPiere Study (1934)

While the elements of the ABC model often align—as in Milly's case, where her negative thoughts and feelings lead to negative actions—they are not always consistent. This discrepancy was famously highlighted by researcher Richard LaPiere.

  • Historical Context: In 1934, there were significant negative attitudes, stereotypes, and prejudice directed toward Asians and Asian-Americans in the United States.
  • The Experiment:
    • Richard LaPiere traveled across the United States with a Chinese couple.
    • They visited hundreds of hotels and restaurants to see if they would be served or turned away.
    • Initial Observation: During their travels, the group was treated nicely in general; they were only turned away by one single establishment.
  • The Follow-up Survey:
    • Six months after the trip, LaPiere sent a survey to the hotels and restaurants they had previously visited.
    • The survey asked if the establishment would accept Asian customers.
    • Statistical Results: Of the 128128 places that responded, 91%91\% stated they would NOT accept Asian customers.
  • Revolutionary Findings: The study demonstrated that the affective and cognitive aspects of an attitude (prejudice and stereotypes) do not always predict the behavioral aspect (discrimination). Many proprietors who held biased views in theory did not act on them in practice.

Determining Behavioral Consistency

Research following LaPiere's study sought to understand why thoughts and feelings sometimes fail to predict behavior. The primary factor identified is the strength of the attitude.

  • Strength of Thoughts and Feelings: A person is more likely to act on their prejudice if their negative feelings or beliefs are intense.
  • Threshold for Action: If a negative feeling is weak or moderate, a person might harbor a stereotype or feel prejudice but choose not to engage in discriminatory behavior.
  • Case Application: Milly feels very strongly about Southern accents, which is why she actively avoids friendship with her Georgian coworker. If her feelings were less intense, she might still hold the stereotype that the coworker is "stupid," yet she might still choose to give him a chance at friendship despite that belief.