Attitudes

• Attitude is a learned emotional and behavioural response to a stimulus or situation.
• Attitudes are learned not inherited.
• Triandis (1971) says we learn our attitudes from direct experience or social experiences.
• Direct experience may be pleasant or unpleasant and will help us form an attitude.
• Attitudes are formed through the agent of socialisation.
• Agents of socialisation are important people in our lives that can help to shape our attitudes, e.g. parents, teachers and friends.
• Attitudes can be formed by agents of socialisation using rewards and punishment, by influencing a change in person's knowledge.
• Attitudes do not always predict behaviour.
• Behaviour is often dependent on two factors: the expectations of reinforcement and punishment; and social norms.
• Past experiences can influence attitude.
• Role models can influence attitude.
• Up bringing / socialisation can influence attitude.
• Media can influence attitude.
• Cultural, religious and societal norms can influence attitude.
• Beliefs and values can influence attitudes.
• There are three components to attitude: cognitive, affective, and behavioural.
• The cognitive component of attitude is the thinking part of an opinion.
• The cognitive component of attitude is any information a person believes or what they know about an attitude object.
• The cognitive component of attitude is formed from any information a person has about an attitude object.
• The affective component of attitude is the emotional response to an attitude object.
• The affective component of attitude is whether a person likes or dislikes it.
• The behavioural component of attitude is how a person intends to act towards an attitude object.
• Behaviour is usually influenced by the affective component.
• The cognitive component could override the affective component.
• If there is a fear of punishment or incentive of reward, then the behavioural component can differ from both our belief and affective components.
• Attitudes can be changed through cognitive dissonance or persuasive communication.
• The basis of cognitive dissonance is to create an imbalance in someone's beliefs by creating mental discomfort / conflict between components of attitudes.
• If an individual experiences cognitive dissonance they will be more prepared to change their behaviour.
• Cognitive dissonance can be created by causing a conflict between two attitude components.
• Cognitive dissonance causes a feeling of stress and a desire to create a balance between the components to reduce stress.
• When all components of attitude are balanced, this is called cognitive consonance.
• The process of cognitive dissonance can target one or more of the components of attitude.
• Cognitive dissonance can be used to change attitude by emphasising the desired belief which influences the cognitive component.
• Cognitive dissonance can be used to change attitude by providing new information which influences the cognitive component.
• Cognitive dissonance can be used to change attitude by providing new experiences or making training fun which influences the affective component.
• Cognitive dissonance can be used to change attitude by providing rewards and punishments which influences the behavioural component.
• Persuasive communication involves using communication to persuade an individual to change their attitude.
• The succes of persuasive communication depends on the characterisitics of the persuader.
• If the persuader is of a higher status than the receiver, the receiver is more likely to be persuaded.
• If there is more than one persuader, they are more likely to be successful.