Attitudes Flashcards
(14 cards)
Attitude structure
- One component
- Two components
- Three components*
- Cognitive, affective and behavioural components.
Attitude influences
- Parents and peers
- Media
Cognitive consistency theories
A group of attitude theories stressing that people try to maintain internal consistency, order, and agreement among their various cognitions.
Festinger’s cognitive dissonance theory,
Cognitive dissonance is an unpleasant state of psychological tension generated when a person has two or more cognitions that are inconsistent or do not fit together; e.g. man has a positive attitude towards monogamy, yet is having a marital affair. To reduce cognitive dissonance he must either change his attitude or his behaviour.
Heider’s balance theory, 1946
People prefer attitudes that are consistent with each other over those that are inconsistent. A person (P) tries to maintain consistency in attitudes to, and relationships with, other people (O) and elements of the environment (X) - p. 186.
Sociogonitive model
- Object label and the rules for applying that label.
- Evaluative summary of that object.
- Knowledge structure supporting that evaluation.
Example and figure at p. 186.
Anderson’s information integration theory, 1971-81
We acquire and re-evaluate attitudes by using cognitive algebra. For example, a warning from health authorities that a certain brand of food may cause serious illness may lead people to re-evaluate their attitude and change their behaviour.
Mere exposure effect
Repeated exposure to an object results in greater attraction to that object.
Evaluative conditioning
A stimulus will become more liked or less liked when it is consistently paired with stimuli that are either positive or negative.
Classical conditioning
A relaxed setting induces a good mood. It is an easy step to associate this mood with someone who is immediately present, increasing mutual liking.
Spreading attitude effect
A liked or disliked person (or attitude object) may affect not only the evaluation of a second person directly associated but also others merely associated with the second person.
Instrumental conditioning
Behaviour that is followed by positive consequences is reinforced and is more likely to be repeated, whereas behaviour that is followed by negative consequences is not.
Modeling / observational learning
The tendency for a person to reproduce the actions, attitudes and emotional responses exhibited by a real-life or symbolic model.
Self-perception theory
People acquire knowledge about what kind of person they are, and thus their attitudes, by examining their own behaviour and asking: ‘Why did I do that?’
