Lecture 3 - Attitudes and Behaviour Flashcards
Define attitudes.
Cognitive representations that summarise an evaluation of a particular person, group, action, or idea.
What is approach-avoidance?
The indication of agreement using simple physical movements (e.g. pulling an object towards you).
What is embodied cognition?
The way that we act influences our attitudes and emotions.
What did Wells and Petty (1980) find about head shaking (as an example of embodied cognition)?
Those that nodded yes whilst listening to a pro-tuition speech recommended higher tuition fees than those shaking their head no.
How does self perception of behaviour relate to attitudes?
Reflecting on one’s own behaviour may change previously neutral attitudes towards that activity/behaviour.
What is the foot in the door technique?
Asking for a bigger favour after agreeing for a smaller favour.
Why does wearing a pin aid the foot in the door technique?
It causes people to feel committed to the cause, and makes them want to behave consistently - i.e. I am wearing the pin, sho I should also donate.
What do low self monitors display?
Same personality/consistent behaviour no matter where they are.
Low self monitors are more/less likely to show the foot in the door (FITD) technique, and why?
More. They show the same personality/behaviour no matter where they are, so feel more obliged to be consistent in marketing/sales situations
What are the 3 moderators of attitudes, such as susceptibility to the foot in the door technique?
- Individual differences (e.g. self-monitoring)
- Attitude strength
- Attitude performance
How does attitude strength relate to susceptibility to the FITD technique?
The stronger the attitude, the less influence such actions (FITD) will have.
How does attitude importance relate to susceptibility to the FITD technique?
When there are actual consequences at play, and attitudes have more importance, influences are more effective.
What is cognitive dissonance?
The state of unpleasantness and negative tension caused when one’s attitude and behaviour are in conflict.
What are the 4 steps that create cognitive dissonance?
- Awareness of inconsistency
- Attribution of personal responsibility (more dissonance with choice)
- Experience of negative arousal
- Attribution of arousal to inconsistency
Which step is normally targeted when preventing dissonance?
Any, as all 4 are needed to lead to cognitive dissonance.
What are ways of preventing cognitive dissonance?
- denial of inconsistency
- denial of personal responsibility
- reduction of physiological arousal
- attribution of arousal to other causes
What are ways of reducing cognitive dissonance (once it has occurred)?
- Change attitudes/consonant cognitions (rationalisation)
- Behaviour change (pledge to change future behaviour)
- Self-affirmation, moral licensing (I’m a good person so it doesn’t matter)
What are the 3 elements which influence intentions?
- Attitude
- Subjective norms
- Perceived control
What is the estimated correlation between attitudes and behaviour?
.4
What does MODE stand for?
Motivation and Opportunity as Determinants of behaviour.
What has been found regarding bias perception in facial processing?
People are quicker at identifying and reacting to faces that they have rehearsed to. The same occurs for attitudes.
What does the MODE model/theory of reasoned action suggest?
That, if people have sufficient motivation and opportunity, they may base decisions on deliberation (and think through the decision properly).
What is likely to occur when motivation or opportunity is low, according to the MODE model/theory of reasoned action?
Only attitudes that are highly accessible (and that have been rehearsed) will predict spontaneous behaviour.
What does deliberation predict?
Deliberation predicts reasoned actions, but only when motivation and opportunity is present.
