Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Attitudes and Attitude Change
Attitudes and Attitude Change
Outline
What is an attitude?
Values
Definitions of Attitudes
An attitude is a mental and neural state of readiness, organized through experience, exerting a directive or dynamic influence upon the individuals response to all objects and situations with which it is related. G. W. Allport (1935) The intensity of positive or negative affect for or against a psychological object. Thurstone (1946) An attitude is a psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavor. Eagley & Chaiken (1993) Attitudes are enduring mental representations of various features of the social or physical world. They are acquired through experience and exert a directive influence on subsequent behavior. Breckler & Wiggins (1989) An attitude is a predisposition to react in a certain way to an object or experience. Alcock, Carment, & Sadava (1991)
1. Knowledge: - organize and simplify peoples experience 2. Instrumental: - maximize rewards or minimize punishment 3. Ego-defensive: - protect ourselves from unpleasant realities 4. Value expressive: - allow the expression of personal values and self-concept
Values
Values are principles that guide our lives. They are designed to lead us to our ideal world (Schwartz, 1992)
Transcend specific situations Guide selection or evaluation of behaviour and events Ordered by relative importance
Benevolence
Hedonism
Tradition
Achievement
Conformity Security
Power
Self-enhancement
Conservation
Power Distance the tendency to see a large social distance between those in the upper part of a social structure and those in the lower part of the social structure. Control of others behaviours Uncertainty Avoidance Avoidance of situations where the outcome is uncertain Security, low risk-taking, state religion Masculinity-Femininity The tendency of members of a culture to value activities that are more common among men than women. success vs. caring for others and quality of life Individualism-Collectivism Tendency to give priority to personal goals even when they conflict with the goals of important groups.
CBC
Hofstede
Theory of Reasoned Action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 1985, 1987)
Attitude toward the behaviour Behavioural Intentions Behaviour
Subjective Norms
1.
2.
PERSUASION
The process of getting others to agree with (or change their attitude regarding) an advocated position by means of a rational or an emotional appeal.
WHO SAYS WHAT TO WHOM UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES Message (WHAT?) a. primacy-recency effects b. one- vs. two-sided arguments c. fear arousal
Five factors are important in any fear appeal: 1.) the magnitude of the unpleasantness of the event 2.) the probability that the negative event will occur if the recommended action is not taken 3.) the perceived effectiveness of the recommended action 4.) the perceived ability to perform the recommended action 5.) how afraid you already are of the topic
a. b.
Types of Cognitions
Irrelevant two cognitions have nothing to do with each other Consonant one cognition follows from, or fits with another Dissonant one cognition follows from, or fits with, the opposite of another; discrepant