attitudes and attitude change Flashcards
(27 cards)
What is an attitude (according to Hogg & Vaughan, 2014)?
A relatively enduring organisation of beliefs, feelings, and behavioural tendencies towards socially significant objects, events, or symbols.
What are the three components of an attitude (Rosenberg & Hovland, 1960)?
Cognitive (beliefs), Affective (feelings), and Behavioural (actions).
Give an example of the three components of an attitude towards eating meat.
Cognitive: ‘Eating meat is unhealthy’; Affective: ‘It makes me feel sick’; Behavioural: ‘I only eat vegetarian food’.
What makes attitudes stronger according to Judd & Lusk (1984)?
If attitudes are complex and evaluated consistently, they become stronger and more extreme.
What is the Knowledge function of attitudes (Katz, 1960)?
Helps organise and make sense of the social world.
What is the Utilitarian function of attitudes (Katz, 1960)?
Helps us achieve rewards and avoid punishments.
What is the Ego-defensive function of attitudes (Katz, 1960)?
Protects our self-esteem by justifying behaviours or beliefs.
What is the Value-expressive function of attitudes (Katz, 1960)?
Allows us to express our core values and self-identity.
What is the Mere Exposure Effect (Zajonc, 1968)?
Repeated exposure to a stimulus increases our liking of it.
How does classical conditioning shape attitudes?
By associating a neutral object with a positive or negative stimulus (e.g., celebrity endorsement).
What did Insko (1965) show about instrumental conditioning and attitudes?
Participants given positive feedback held more favourable attitudes a week later.
What does Self-Perception Theory (Bem, 1972) suggest?
People infer their attitudes by observing their own behaviour.
What are the challenges in measuring attitudes?
Attitudes must be measured reliably (consistent over time) and validly (actually measure attitudes).
Name 3 methods used to measure attitudes.
Self-report scales, physiological measures (e.g., heart rate), and behaviour observation.
What did LaPiere (1934) find in his study on racial prejudice?
People acted welcoming toward a Chinese couple in person but expressed prejudice in surveys.
What did Wicker (1969) conclude about attitudes and behaviour?
There’s only a weak correlation (r = .15) between attitudes and actual behaviour.
What factors influence how well attitudes predict behaviour?
Attitude strength, direct experience, and specificity of measurement.
What did Haddock et al. (1999) find about direct experience and attitudes?
Attitudes towards assisted dying were influenced by having direct personal experiences.
What did Davidson & Jaccard (1979) find about specificity in attitude measures?
Specific attitudes predicted behaviour (e.g., using the pill) better than general attitudes.
What are the three main components of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 1991)?
Attitude toward the behaviour, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control.
How do cultural differences affect the TPB model?
Individualist cultures focus more on personal beliefs; collectivist cultures on group norms (Cho & Lee, 2015).
What is Cognitive Dissonance (Festinger, 1957)?
Psychological discomfort from holding conflicting thoughts or behaviours.
Name one way people reduce cognitive dissonance.
Change their beliefs, reduce importance of the conflict, or add justifying thoughts.
What are the two routes in the Elaboration Likelihood Model (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986)?
Central route (logical, lasting change) and peripheral route (superficial, short-term change).
