Attitude system

Attitudes
Behaviors Beliefs

Values
Attitude system Behavior
I wrote my
congressman
to protest the
current
drinking age
Attitude
I’m in favor of
reducing the
drinking age to 18

Value: freedom
Young people
should be allowed
to drink socially
Belief
Lower drinking age Value: fairness
helps young people Society should be fair:
develop responsible “You can fight in Iraq but can’t
drinking habits have a beer with your friends”
How do we measure attitudes?

•Why to measure them?

Next, we'd like to get your overall opinion of some people in the news. As I
read each name, please say if you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of
this person -- or if you have never heard of him. How about – [Donald Trump]?

Favorable Unfavorable

5 4 3 2 1
Measuring attitudes

1) Thurstone scale
2) Likert-scale
3) Sematic differential scale
4) Galvanic skin response
5) Pupillary response
6) Lost letter technique
Measuring attitudes: cutting edge technology
How do we measure values?

•Why to measure them?

Here is a list of qualities that children can be encouraged to learn at home. Which, if
any, do you consider to be especially important? Please choose up to five.

Important Not Mentioned

V15 Independence 1 2
V16 Hard work 1 2
V17 Feeling of responsibility 1 2
V18 Imagination 1 2
V19 Tolerance and respect for other people 1 2
V20 Thrift, saving money and things 1 2
V21 Determination, perseverance 1 2
V22 Religious faith 1 2
V23 Unselfishness 1 2
V24 Obedience 1 2
The attitude-behavior link

LaPiere (1934)
- are attitudes correlated with behavior?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no

WHEN are attitudes correlated with behavior?

WHEN are attitudes correlated with behavior?
• Measurement factors

• Attitude formation factors

• Behavioral control beliefs

• Cognitive processing factors

• Individual factors

• Situational factors
Measurement factors

- Measurement specificity
Correlation with
Attitude measure behavior (using
pills)
Attitude toward birth control .083
Attitude toward birth control pills .323
Attitude toward using birth control pills .525
Davidson and Jaccard (1979)
Attitude formation factors

- Direct experience vs. indirect experience

- Vested interest
Behavioral control beliefs

Perceived behavioral control HIGH:

- higher attitude-behavior consistency

Perceived behavioral control LOW:

- lower attitude-behavior consistency

Cognitive processing factors

- Attitude accessibility

- Relevance
Individual factors

- self-monitoring personality trait

“…the extent to which people monitor (observe,

regulate, and control) the public appearances of self
they display in social situations…” (Snyder, 1987)
Situational factors

- Individuated situations:
individuals take more responsibility → stronger
attitude-behavior consistency

- Deindividuated situations:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msfu8YCCc8Q&feature=related

anonymity → less responsibility → weaker

attitude-behavior consistency
Deindividuated situations:
Situational factors

- Individuated situations:
individuals take more responsibility → stronger
attitude-behavior consistency

- Deindividuated situations:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msfu8YCCc8Q&feature=related

anonymity → less responsibility → weaker

attitude-behavior consistency

Scripted situations:
weaker attitude-behavior consistency
Discussion question

1) Think of a time when you behaved in a way that was

inconsistent with a related attitude. Explain your behavior
by using some of the factors that affect the attitude-
behavior relationship .
Discussion questions
1) Explore your attitude about “capitalism” (positive /
negative / neutral?)

2) Identify an attitude you have that fulfills:

• Ego defensive function
• Value expressive function
• Utilitarian function
• Knowledge fuction
• Social-adjustive function

3) Is it ethical to try to change a person’s values/core

beliefs? Why or why not?