Attitudes: formation, stability, and change; 2

Question 1

What is attitude accessibility?

Answer 1

It refers to how easily an attitude comes to mind. Highly accessible attitudes are more likely to guide behavior. For example, a strong political opinion will guide voting behavior more readily than a weak one.

Question 2

What is the difference between attitude formation via conditioning vs. via learning?

Answer 2

Conditioning: Automatic (classical = pairing; operant = reward/punishment).

Learning (modeling): Observational; copying behaviors seen in others, often through role models or media.

Question 3

What is self-perception theory (Bem, 1967)?

Answer 3

We infer our attitudes by observing our behavior — especially when our attitudes are weak or ambiguous. For example, if you keep choosing vegetarian meals, you might conclude you care about animal welfare.

Question 4

What is the Yale Attitude Change Approach?

Answer 4

A: A classic persuasion model focusing on:
​
Source: credibility and attractiveness,
​
Message: quality and emotional appeal,
​
Audience: age, intelligence, attention.
It emphasizes who says what to whom.