Attitude

Dr Tabassum Alvi
Assistant Professor
Psychiatry
Majmaah University

Learning Objectives
Define the term attitudes?
Describe how attitudes affect
behavior?
Discuss whether attitudes can be
changed?

How important is your attitude to success?

A Harvard Business School study found that
85% of the reasons for success,
accomplishments and promotions are
related to attitude while only 15% are
related to technical expertise*.
Unfortunately 90% of our education is
dedicated acquiring facts and figures only
10% is dedicated to developing positive
attitudes.
So were spending 90% of our education
time and dollars developing the 15% that is
responsible for our success.

Definition
A favorable or unfavorable
evaluative reaction toward
something or someone.

Attitude Functions
Knowledge function
attitudes help organize and evaluate information

Self-expression function
attitudes help people express central values or
beliefs

Self-esteem function
attitudes help people build and maintain selfesteem

Attitude

Its everything
Its who and what you are

Attitude
With a bad attitude you can never
have a positive day
With a positive attitude you can
never have a bad day

Attitude
In simpler terms
Attitude is our mental response to
people, places, things and/or events
in our life.
All people irrespective of status,
intelligence or circumstance hold
attitudes.

What Are Attitudes?

A way of valuing life; belief

A viewpoint /mind set
A guide to choices throughout life
A way of judging
A determinant of purpose and direction
Relatively constant
Played or acted out through behavioral
style

Components of Attitudes:

Cognitive
Cognitive

Affective
Affective

Attitude
Attitude

Behavioral
Behavioral
11

Attitude Structure
Gun Control
Affect: Guns make me sick!

Aff
ec
t

iti
gn
Co

Behavior: I vote for gun contr

whenever possible.

on

Cognition: Guns in the house

increase the likelihood of childr
accidentally shooting themselve

Behavior

Factors that Determine Attitudes

3 Es of Attitude
Experience
Education
Environment

Describe how attitudes affect

behavior
?

 Attitude and behavior are two quite

different
things.
Attitude is a person's inner thoughts
and
feelings while behavior is usually an
outward expression of attitude, but the
two are not always related.

Attitudes Influence on Behavior

Attitudes can positively or negatively affect a
person's behavior.
A person may not always be aware of his or her
attitude or the effect it is having on behavior.
If a person has a positive attitude, then it is
difficult to upset them. They are usually bright
and cheerful and see most things in a positive
light.
On the other hand, if a person has a negative
attitude then that attitude will be reflected
through behavior.

Predicting Planned
Behaviors
Theory of Planned Behavior
(Ajzen & Fishbein)

Behavioral
Intention

Behavior

17

Predicting Planned
Behaviors
Theory of Planned Behavior
Specific
Attitude
Subjective
Norms

Perceived
Behavioral
Control

Behavioral
Intention

Behavior

18

Predicting Planned
Behaviors
Theory of Planned Behavior
Specific
Attitude
Subjective
Norms

Perceived
Behavioral
Control

Behavioral
Intention

Behavior

19

Predicting Planned
Behaviors
Theory of Planned Behavior
Specific
Attitude
Subjective
Norms

Perceived
Behavioral
Control

Behavioral
Intention

Behavior

20

Will Rachel attend the COLDPLAY Concert?

Specific
Attitude
Subjective
Norms
Perceived
Behavioral
Control
21

Predicting Planned
Behaviors
Theory of Planned Behavior
Specific
Attitude
Subjective
Norms

Perceived
Behavioral
Control

Behavioral
Intention

Behavior

22

Summary
Several factors moderate the link
between attitudes and behaviors.
Situational constraints may prevent
us from expressing our attitudes.
We often engage in activities that
allow us to express our attitudes.
Attitudes influence behavior
through several mechanisms.

Attitude Formation
- Social learning-

acquire attitudes from others

a) Classical conditioning: learning based on association

b) Operant conditioning:
The consequences of behavior lead to learning.
Positive reinforcement.
Negative reinforcement.
-

Observational learning- learning by observing

actions of others and exposure.

Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon

4.6

Attitude Formation (cont)

- Social comparison- Compare ourselves to
others to determine if our view of reality is correct
attitudes are shaped by social information from
others we like or respect

Genetic factors- Inherited general

dispositions (e.g., see world in a positive or
negative light)
highly heritable attitudes and gut-level
preferences (music) are especially influenced

Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon

4.7

How attitude can be

changed
?

George Kelly-- Kelly's said that construct of a person is based on

the idea that each individual looks at the world
through his or her own unique set of preconceived
notions about it (i.e. constructs).
These constructs change and adapt as the
individual is exposed to new and different
situations.
At the heart of Kelly's theory is the idea that
individuals can seek new experiences and practice
and adapt new behaviors in order to change their
attitudes (or constructs) towards the world.

Behavioral Approach to Attitude

Change
Cognitive DissonanceUnpleasant state resulting from inconsistency
between attitudes and behavior

Dissonance can occur in a number

of ways
Eg: Selecting between two reasonably
attractive alternatives

Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon

4.1

Changing Entrenched Attitudes

As we progress through life it is usually necessary
for us to change some of our attitudes in order to
adjust to changing circumstances.
Sometimes we have no choice: the process of
abreaction inflicts change automatically.
At other times we can choose ; for example, for
career reasons.
Attitudes can be changed either by experiencing
different consequences of established behaviour or
by changing our beliefs.
Shallow attitudes are easy to change.

 Feeling is of three kinds: the positive feeling, the

negative one and the neutral one.
The factor of feeling means that we can define
attitudes as our likes and dislikes.

Where does change of attitudecome within

the general process of change?

Three levels with different intensities to the

process of change.
These psychological levels;
1. Beliefs
2. attitude
3. character traits /motivation.

1b). Change in Beliefs

Change is moderate.
The new belief comes before the old is
discarded.
Mind is the focus of attention.
2b). Change in Attitudes
Change is major.
The new and the old attitude may be
simultaneously present.
Feeling is the focus of attention.
3b). Change in Traits and Motivation
Change is deep and extensive, and often
occurs dramatically.
The old has to be discarded before the new

Emotion and Attitude Change

Emotion is a common component in persuasion,
social influence, and attitude change.

Emotion works hand-in-hand with the cognitive

process, or the way we think, about an issue or
situation.

Emotional appeals are commonly found in

advertising, health campaigns and political
messages.
Recent examples include no-smoking health
campaigns and political campaign advertising
emphasizing the fear of terrorism.

Attitude Axioms
Our attitude determines our approach to life
Often, our attitude is the only difference
between success and failure.
Our attitude at the beginning of a task will affect
its outcome more than anything else.
Our attitude can turn our problems into
blessings.
Our attitudes determine our relationships with
people.
Our attitudes can give us an uncommonly
positive perspective.

How to improve your attitude:

Evaluate your present attitude.
Realize faith is stronger than fear.
Write a statement of purpose / values /
mission statement.
Set goals.
Take action toward achieving your goals
each day.
You must desire to change and embrace
the challenge of change and watch the
desire grow.
Live one day at a time.
Change your thought patterns.

Changing Attitudes
Attitude transformation takes time, effort, and
determination, but it can be done.
It is important not to expect to change a persons
attitudes quickly.
Attitudes are formed over a lifetime through an
individuals socialization process.
An individuals socialization process includes his
or her formation of values and beliefs during
childhood years, influenced not only by family,
religion, and culture but also by socioeconomic
factors.
This socialization process affects a persons
attitude toward work and his or her related
behavior.

Changing Attitudes
(Step-by-Step Process)
1. Assessment of Attitudes
a) Identification Recognize common
workplace/school attitude
problems
b) Environment - Identify challenges in the
environment
. Participants are introduced to common examples
of attitude-challenged workers/students.
. Group activities help identify and role play how to
handle different types of attitude challenges.
. Focus is to assess the impact of negative attitudes
on workers/students, management, and patients/
customers, and identify the causes of problems.

Changing Attitudes
2 Adjusting Attitudes
a) Listening, coaching, and providing feedback are
the tools
for attitude change.
b) Role play to practice how to use coaching and
provide feedback
with staff.
c) Identify payoffs and rewards

Changing Attitudes
3. Common Management Mistakes
a) How to be realistic and patient with attitude
change.
b) Why scolding does little to stop the problem.
c) How to stop the culture of complaining and work
to positively.
Effect attitude change.
Group activities include examples of common
management mistakes and exercises to practice
more realistic and positive ways to provide
feedback, facilitate group discussion, and role

Changing Attitudes
4. Resolving Conflict
a) The need to confront so that negative behaviors
will not
continue
b) Expectations and coping strategies of
employees/students to stress and management
directives
c) Recognizing personal conflict styles and how to
deal with them
Exercises include ways to analyze communications
to identify styles, planning the meeting and
working collaboratively to discover Win/Win
solutions.

Changing Attitudes
5. How to Work with Problem Behaviors
and Attitudes
a) Analyze the cause of the problem
b) Privately confront with a calm, non defensive
professional demeanor
Participants role play with their preferred style
for handling difficult people. (Managers and
employees exchange roles and must reprimand
or confront problem behaviors)

6. The Last Resort:

Employee Termination/breakup of relationship
and Legal Issues

Changing Attitudes
7. Creating a Positive Work Environment
a) Evoke a positive, collaborative team
environment
b) Top Motivators include non-monetary rewards
c) Characteristics of managing motivation in the
workplace/studies
Exercises include engaging workers into teams,
providing recognition awards for
employees/students.

Your attitude is one of the most important choices you

make in life

Everything can be taken from a

person but one thing: the last of
human freedoms to choose
ones attitude in any given set of
circumstances, to choose ones
own way.
Victor E. Frankl

Assignment
Write a learning agreement showing
how understanding of attitudes can
be applied to daily practice