attitude

Question 1

define attitudes

Answer 1

long-lasting evaluations we hold about ourselves, other people, objects and issues.

Question 2

why are attitudes effective?

Answer 2

Useful to know if something is good or bad

• helps predict others’ behaviour
• can dictate our own behaviour

Question 3

what do attitudes form from?

Answer 3

• direct experience

- interaction with others.

Question 4

what are explicit attitudes?

Answer 4

conscious beliefs that can guide decisions /behaviours

Question 5

what are implicit attitudes?

Answer 5

unconscious beliefs that can guide decisions/behaviour

Question 6

what is the role of social comparison in the formation of attitudes?

Answer 6

• join a group you may well adopt the dominant attitudes of that group, through the process of social comparison.
• adopt similar attitudes in order to be accepted by a group

Question 7

what are methods of measuring attitudes?

Answer 7

• Observational methods
• Interviews
• Focus groups
• Rating scales

Question 8

what are the advantages of observational methods?

Answer 8

• Can gather first-hand, unbiased information.

- Often used when investigating opinions on controversial issues

Question 8

what are the advantages of observational methods?

Answer 8

• Can gather first-hand, unbiased information.

- Often used when investigating opinions on controversial issues

Question 9

what are the disadvantages of observational methods?

Answer 9

Can’t provide information on the intensity of the attitude held by individual participants

Question 10

what are the advantages of interviews?

Answer 10

Generates large amounts of information

Question 11

what are the disadvantages of interviews?

Answer 11

• The participants may not be as honest compared to if they provided written anonymous answers.
• Time consuming

Question 12

what are the advantages of focus groups?

Answer 12

Interaction helps people to explore, clarify and articulate their attitudes.

Question 13

what are the advantages of focus groups?

Answer 13

Interaction helps people to explore, clarify and articulate their attitudes.

Question 14

what are the disadvantages of focus groups?

Answer 14

Information may not be as honest as there are more people to share personal opinions with

Question 15

what are the advantages of rating scales?

Answer 15

can be analysed statistically

Question 16

what are the disadvantages of rating scales?

Answer 16

• may suffer from “order bias,” where respondents rank the first set of items more positively than later ones.

Question 17

what is culture?

Answer 17

A program of shared values, attitudes, rules, and beliefs that govern the behaviour of the majority of community members communicated from one generation to the next.

Question 18

how do cultural values affect attitudes and behaviour?

Answer 18

for example:
- in individualistic cultures, individuals choose their own partners compared to collectivist cultures where arranged marriages are common.

Question 19

define social values?

Answer 19

what is considered to be important to our lives and our interactions with others and these can change and evolve over time.

Question 20

How do social values influence behaviour?

Answer 20

changing social values in a society can lead to changed stereotypes and behaviour.

Question 21

define self-fulfilling prophecy?

Answer 21

A prediction that directly or indirectly becomes true, by the conditions of the prophecy itself, due to positive feedback between belief and behaviour.

Question 22

what are the consequences of self-fulfilling prophecies?

Answer 22

• self doubt

- low self-esteem.

Question 23

define social categorisation?

Answer 23

the process of identifying a person as a member of a group because of the features they share

Question 24

why is social categorisation necessary?

Answer 24

saves us from having to deal with all the unique aspects of every individual we meet when these are not relevant to interactions.

Question 25

what are stereotypes?

Answer 25

a form of social categorisation based on what others think of are shared features.

Question 26

how are stereotypes formed?

Answer 26

• Personal interaction
• learning from others
• learning from the media

Question 27

define prejudice

Answer 27

Unjustifiable, usually negative, attitude towards a group and its members

Question 28

define discrimination

Answer 28

Unequal treatment of people who should have the same rights as others.

Question 29

what are the sources of prejudice?

Answer 29

social-unequal status, social identity

• cognitive
• stereotypes, perceived similarities, and differences, illusory correlation

Question 30

what are some ways to reduce prejudice?

Answer 30

• Social learning-teach parents to socialize children to be tolerant
• Increase inter-group contact-must involve cooperation within groups and equality

Question 31

define racism

Answer 31

A form of prejudice based on assumed racial differences

Question 32

how are attitudes formed?

Answer 32

• Tripartite model

- emotion, behaviour, cognition

Question 33

what are individualistic cultures?

Answer 33

encourage people to think of themselves as distinct individuals who are more concerned with their own wants and privileges than with the needs and rights of the collective

Question 34

what are collectivist cultures?

Answer 34

Members in collectivist cultures prioritise their collective’s aims and describe themselves as members of a group