PSYCHOLOGY SUMMARY NOTES

Unit 2

Chapter 6: Interpersonal an !ro"p #eha$io"r

What is attitude?
Attitudes are intimately woven into our actions and views of the world. Tastes, friendships, votes, preferences and goals are influenced by our attitudes. - An attit" e is a learned idea about ourselves or others, or objects and experiences. - The tri%&o'ponent 'o el proposes that there are 3 components that contribute to attitude formation: Affective feel! "ehavioural actions! #ognitive belief! Example of the tri-component model: Exercise Affective: $ li%e exercise "ehavioural: &o to a gym'play footy #ognitive: $t helps me %eep fit and healthy Li'itations o( the tri%&o'ponent 'o el: $t can be inconsistent and doesn(t always accurately predict behaviour. )or example, you may not li%e another student, but that doesn(t mean your actions towards him will to punch him whenever you see him, you will just %eep it to yourself that you don(t li%e it. -

What is attitude?
There are many different ways we form attitudes: - )ire&t &onta&t: *ersonal experience. +o if a magpie too% a shit on you, you would have a negative attitude towards magpies. - Intera&tion: Attitudes can be formed based on friends. +o if a friend or group of friends all li%e s%ateboarding, then you will tend to li%e it as well. - Chil rearin!: ,our parent(s beliefs, actions, values and practices can form our attitudes towards things. )or example if they both vote for the liberal party, you are more li%ely to vote liberal as well. -'3 of children will choose the same party as their parents!. - Gro"p 'e'#ership: *eople we share common characteristics with. .iving in /elbourne will ma%e you thin% /elbourne is the best city in the world. - Me ia: 0iewing things in the media, for example "en #ousins( documentary could ma%e people thin% they shouldn(t ta%e drugs.

Chan&e: An attitude formed by chance. )or example, if you went to +ydney and had poor restaurant service and the hotel you stayed in was in bad condition, you would have a negative attitude towards +ydney.

Attitude change
Attitudes are relatively stable, but they can change. )actors that can cause them to change are: - Re(eren&e !ro"p: A group a person indentifies themselves with and uses as a standard for social comparison. - Pers"asion: A deliberate attempt to change attitude through information. Advertising, politics and discussions with friends are examples of persuasion. - Mar*et resear&h: *ublic opinion used to asses consumer views on products. - +ran i'a!e: The mental picture that consumers have of a product. #onsumers become emotionally attached. )or example, a "/1 has a higher status then a Toyota.

Prejudice attitudes that hurt

A pre," i&e is a negative2 emotional attitude towards members of a group. )or example: +ex male or female! Age 3 older people are considered wea%, slow etc. 4ace

STEREOTYPES: - A stereot-pe is a belief we have about people from certain groups. 1e ignore their individuality. - *laces people in categories. - 5g: 6*eople over 78 are all old and slow9 RE)UCING PRE.U)ICE: There are many ways to reduce prejudice. +ome include: - $ntergroup contact - +ustained contact - +uperordinate goals - /utual interdependence - 5:uality e:ual-status contact! - #ognitive interventions Inter!ro"p &onta&t: - This is direct contact between the people who hold the prejudice and people who are the target of the prejudice. - $ntergroup contact ma%es people aware that members of various racial and ethnic groups share the same goals, ambitions and feelings as they do.

S"staine &onta&t: - *rolonged and involved contact with the other group. - $t should be cooperative activity rather than casual and purposeless contact. S"peror inate !oals: - +hared goals which groups or individuals cannot achieve alone or without the other person or group. - The goals exceed lesser goals that the individual wishes to achieve. - An example is the Australian and ;ew <ealand army wor%ing together to defeat the enemy A;<A#(s! M"t"al in epen en&e: - *eople depend on one another to meet each person(s goals. - )or example, an A). team must wor% together to win a match regardless of race or age. E/"alit- 0e/"al%stat"s &onta&t1: - +ocial interaction that occurs at the same level without obvious differences in power or status. Co!niti$e inter$ention: - #hanging the way we thing by being educated about prejudice. - $t can help us to: "e less susceptible to the manipulation of others Analyse and understand our own attitudes and those of others *redict the behaviour of others *romote pleasant interactions 2ACTORS CONTRI+UTING TO PRE.U)ICE: +ome factors that contribute to prejudice are: - +tereotypes - $ngroups = outgroups - $ntergroup conflict Stereot-pes: >refer above> In!ro"ps 3 o"t!ro"ps: - $f we are part of an ingroup, we tend to hold a prejudice against the outgroup. )or example, if you went for 4ichmond, then that would be your ingroup, and the outgroup would be 5ssendon. ?r /arcellin and Assumption. Inter!ro"p &on(li&t: - /embers of different groups compete to achieve something.

Discrimination
)is&ri'ination is the une:ual treatment of people who should the same rights as others. 4esults from prejudices and can be direct or indirect. The difference between a prejudice and discrimination is that prejudice is an attitude towards something, and discrimination is a behaviour arising from prejudice. +exism, racism and ageism are all forms of discrimination. Se4is' is an attitude that is a mixture of negative thoughts, feelings of fear, envy or hostility and actions of discrimination based on gender. Ra&is' is an attitude that is a mixture of negative thoughts, feelings of fear, envy or hostility and actions of discrimination based on race. A!eis' is an attitude that is a mixture of negative thoughts, feelings of fear, envy or hostility and actions of discrimination based on age.