Attitude Formation and Function Flashcards
Q: What is the definition of attitude according to Allport (1935)?
A: A mental and neural state of readiness, organised through experience, exerting an influence on responses to related objects and situations.
Q: How do Eagly & Chaiken (1993) define attitude?
A: A psychological tendency expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favour or disfavour.
Q: What are the three components of the Tripartite Model of Attitudes?
A: Cognitive (beliefs), Affective (emotions), Behavioural (actions).
: What are attitude referents?
Objects, people/groups, abstract concepts, and behaviours.
What is an ambivalent attitude?
Holding both positive and negative evaluations toward the same attitude referent.
Why are ambivalent attitudes important?
They are less stable, more susceptible to persuasion, and weaker predictors of behaviour.
: What are the four functions of attitudes according to Katz (1960)?
A: Knowledge, Utilitarian, Value-expressive, Ego-defensive.
What does the knowledge function of attitudes do?
Helps individuals understand and predict their environment.
What is the utilitarian function of attitudes?
Steers behaviour to maximise rewards and minimise punishments.
: What is the value-expressive function of attitudes?
: Allows individuals to express personal values and self-identity.
What is the ego-defensive function of attitudes?
Protects self-esteem by adopting attitudes that deflect psychological threats.
Who proposed the tripartite model of attitudes?
Katz & Stotland (1959); Rosenberg & Hovland (1960).
What did Thompson et al. (1995) and Elliott et al. (2014) say about attitudes?
People can simultaneously hold positive and negative attitudes (ambivalence).
What did Armitage & Conner (2000) find about ambivalent attitudes?
They are easier to change and less predictive of behaviour.
What did Bagozzi (1978) and Breckler (1984) conclude about the tripartite model?
They found weak or no support for the clear separation of components.
What is self-perception theory (Bem, 1972)?
People infer their attitudes by observing their own behaviour, especially if the behaviour is voluntary.
What is Bandura’s (1977) social learning theory?
People form attitudes by observing others being rewarded or punished for behaviours.
What is Heider’s (1958) balance theory?
People are motivated to maintain consistency between their attitudes and those of people they like/dislike.
How does social identity theory (Tajfel, 1982) relate to attitudes?
: Attitudes are shaped by group membership and norms; attitudes help define in-groups vs. out-groups.
What did Festinger (1950) suggest about group influence on attitudes?
An attitude feels more valid when it’s shared with a group.
