lecture 3 - Attitudes and Social Cognition Flashcards
What are attitudes?
Attitudes are preferences regarding an attitude object and can be positive, negative or ambivalent
What are values?
Values are enduring beliefs about general aspects of life that go beyond specific objects and situations - values help people organise their attitudes
Stimulation, self-direction, hedonism, achievement, power. What are the rest of the 10 universal values according to Schwarz (1992)?
Security, tradition, conformity, benevolence and universalism
What is mere exposure?
Mere exposure is a phenomenon wherein a person tends to like a stimulus the more they are exposed to it (Zajonc, 1968)
How do we form attitudes through classical conditioning?
Through classical conditioning, a person may learn an attitude by having it paired with a positive stimulus repeatedly.
How do we form attitudes through instrumental learning?
Through instrumental conditioning, a person may learn an attitude through being rewarded for trying that attitude out
How do we form attitudes through observational learning?
Through observational learning, a person may learn an attitude by watching another who adopts that attitude.
Can attitudes be inherited?
Studies have shown that genetic factors play a role in attitude development - inherited attitudes are more difficult to change.
What did LaPiere (1934) about the extent to which attitudes predict behaviour?
LaPiere (1934) found that many people do not behave in line with the attitudes which they express.
What is cognitive dissonance?
Cognitive dissonance is an unpleasant psychological state which occurs when people notice that their attitudes and behaviours are inconsistent with each other (Festinger, 1957)
How does one reduce cognitive dissonance?
Methods for reducing cognitive dissonance include; changing the attitude to match the behaviour, reducing the importance of the dissonance, reducing discomfort by self-affirmation…
What is proprioception?
Proprioception is the ability to perceive bodily position, and it plays a fundamental role in a person’s thoughts, feelings and actions.
What is the knowledge function of attitudes?
The knowledge function - attitudes function as schemas to help us make sense of information in a complex social world.
What is the utilitarian function of attitudes?
The utilitarian function - attitudes help us obtain rewards and avoid punishment
What is the value-expressive function of attitudes?
The value expressive function - attitudes may allow people to express their deep-seated values
