Social Topic 3

Question 1

Attitude

Answer 1

• Hogg & Vaughan (2018): A relatively enduring organization of beliefs, feelings, and behavioral tendencies towards socially significant objects, groups, events, or symbols.
• Sutton & Douglas (2019): People’s evaluations of aspects of the social world

Question 2

One vs. Two vs. Three-Component Models

Answer 2

• One-Component Model: Attitude = Affect (Thurstone, 1931).
• Two-Component Model: Attitude = Readiness to act (Allport, 1935).
• Three-Component Model: Cognitive, affective, and behavioral components (Breckler, 1984).

Question 2

Attitude Structure – Three-Component Model

Answer 2

• Cognitive: Beliefs/thoughts about an object.
• Affective: Emotions towards an object.
• Behavioural: Actions/intended actions towards an object.

Question 3

Functions of Attitudes (Katz, 1960)

Answer 3

• Knowledge Function: Helps make sense of the world.
• Utilitarian Function: Helps achieve goals.
• Ego-Defense Function: Protects self-esteem.
• Value-Expressive Function: Expresses personal values.

Question 4

Why Attitudes May Not Predict Behavior

Answer 4

• LaPiere (1934): Chinese couple study showed a disconnect between stated attitudes (hotels refused service in surveys) and actual behavior (almost all accepted them).
• Gregson & Stacey (1981): Weak correlation between attitudes and alcohol consumption.

Question 5

When Do Attitudes Predict Behavior? (Doll & Ajzen, 1992)

Answer 5

• Attitude is accessible.
• Attitude is publicly expressed.
• The attitude aligns with group norms.

Question 6

Specific vs. General Attitudes (Davidson & Jaccard, 1979)

Answer 6

• More specific attitudes predict behavior better than general ones.
• Example:
  
  • “Attitude towards birth control” (r=0.08) → Weak correlation.
  • “Attitude towards using birth control pills in the next two years” (r=0.57) → Stronger correlation.

Question 7

Implicit vs. Explicit Attitudes

Answer 7

• Explicit Attitudes: Conscious and deliberative.
• Implicit Attitudes: Unconscious and automatic (e.g., Implicit Association Test).

Question 8

Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991)

Answer 8

Behaviour is influenced by:
- Attitude towards behaviour.
- Subjective norms (social pressure).
- Perceived behavioural control (ease/difficulty).

Question 9

Example of TPB (Lavin & Groarke, 2005)

Answer 9

• Studied dental flossing behavior.
• Found that attitudes, norms, and control predicted intention, which influenced behavior.

Question 10

Limitations of TPB

Answer 10

• Sniehotta (2014): Criticized TPB for failing to predict long-term behavior.
• Ajzen (2015): Defended TPB but acknowledged habits and moral values also play a ro

Question 11

Causes of the Intention-Behaviour Gap

Answer 11

• Lack of Perceived Control (e.g., lack of time or opportunity).
• Weak Habit Formation (behavior is not automatic).
• Situational Influences (external factors override intentions).
• Failure to Use Implementation Intentions

Question 11

What is the Intention-Behavior Gap?

Answer 11

The difference between what people intend to do and what they actually do.

Question 12

Implementation Intentions

Answer 12

Highly specific “if-then” plans linking a situation to an action.

Question 13

Emotion

Answer 13

• Physiological Activation (bodily response).
• Expressive Behaviors (facial expressions, gestures).
• Conscious Experience (subjective feeling).

Question 14

Emotion vs. Mood

Answer 14

Question 15

James-Lange Theory of Emotion

Answer 15

• Key Idea: “Physiological response → Emotion.”
• Example: “I feel afraid because my heart is pounding.”
• Evidence: Hohman (1966) → People with high spinal cord injuries reported weaker emotions.

Question 16

Criticism of James-Lange Theory

Answer 16

Assumes each emotion has a distinct physiological response, which is not always true.

Question 17

Schachter-Singer Two-Factor Theory

Answer 17

• Key Idea: Emotion = Physiological Arousal + Cognitive Interpretation.
• Example: A fast heartbeat could mean fear (if in a dark alley) or excitement (if on a roller coaster).

Question 18

Schachter & Singer (1962) Study

Answer 18

• Participants were given adrenaline but were unaware of its effects.
• Findings:
  
  • Those in a happy environment → Reported happiness.
  • Those in an angry environment → Reported anger.
  • Supports the idea that emotions depend on context + bodily arousal.

Question 19

Adaptive Role of Emotions

Answer 19

• Yerkes-Dodson Law: Moderate arousal improves performance, but too much arousal impairs it.
• Functions of Emotion:
  
  • Motivation: Encourages action.
  • Memory Enhancement: Helps learning.
  • Social Communication: Aids interactions