Attitude Formation
The Source of Attitude
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Attitudes are predispositions to act, think, and feel
in particular ways.
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Attitudes develop from conditioning, rapid or
sustained cognitive evaluation, and cultural
influences.
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Sometimes attitudes develop from mere, or simple,
exposure to an idea or object.
Attitude Formation
Functions of Attitudes
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Attitudes help us define ourselves, interpret the
world around us, and determine how we will act.
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Our attitudes are not always consistent with our
behavior, but attitudes acquired through direct
experience are more consistent with behavior than
attitudes acquired in other ways.
Attitude Change and Prejudice
Attitude Change
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The desire to change or maintain behavior in order
to avoid discomfort or rejection is called
compliance.
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We might also change attitudes because of
identification with a particular person or group of
people.
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We develop the attitudes we are least likely to
change through internalization, a process of
incorporating the values of others over time.
Attitude Change and Prejudice
Cognitive Consistency
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Cognitive consistency exists when our values,
thoughts, and feelings are in balance.
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We experience cognitive dissonance when we hold
contradictory thoughts, feelings, or attitudes.
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People try to reduce cognitive dissonance in various
ways, including by denying it exists and by avoiding
the information or experiences that create it.
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People may also change their attitudes as a result of
cognitive dissonance.
Attitude Change and Prejudice
Attitudes and Actions
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Because of cognitive dissonance, people sometimes
exhibit counterattitudinal behavior, or behavior that
contradicts what they really feel or believe.
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Cognitive dissonance can lead to self-justification,
or a rationalization of behavior as good or right,
even though the behavior runs counter to one’s real
beliefs or feelings.
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A self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when people so
believe that something is true that it does, sooner
or later, turn out to be true.
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We all hold stereotypes that we may show in the
form of either positive or negative prejudice or
through discrimination.
Persuasion
The Communication Process
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The parts of the communication process are source,
message, channel, and audience.
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The source of a message is critical to whether the
message is accepted.
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A message may be delivered by a central route,
which means mainly by facts and information,
and/or by a peripheral route, which means mainly
by emotional appeals.
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The channel—the when, where, and how of
message presentation—also affects message
acceptance.
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Two key techniques for involving an audience are
foot-in-the door (asking a little, then a lot) and
door-in-the-face (asking a lot, then a little).
Persuasion
Models and Effects of Persuasion
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We use heuristics, or shortcuts, to evaluate many
messages.
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Messages usually have their greatest impact when
they are first delivered; a sleeper effect occurs as
the impact of the message fades over time.
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The inoculation effect occurs when people become
inoculated, or resistant, to certain arguments.
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Brainwashing occurs when attitude change involves
psychological games and physical torture or
violence.