Attitudes
What you need to know…
• Definitions and components of an attitude
• Influences on formation of an attitude and
influences on behaviour
• Changing attitudes through cognitive
dissonance and persuasive communication.
Common characteristics of an attitude:
• Positive or negative
• Stable and enduring
• Focused to a particular item or situation
(attitude object)
• They are evaluative, subjective or beliefs
• What is your attitude towards the following
objects? Discuss with your partner…
• Attitude object – the
focus of an individual’s
attitude. (people,
training, events, ideas)
Generally a positive attitude
can lead to positive behaviour
patters, but this cannot be
guaranteed
Components of an attitude:
Attitudes form our beliefs
and values – which in
turn influence behaviour
Triadic model
• Cognitive component – reflects beliefs,
knowledge, thoughts and ideas regarding
an attitude object.
• Affective component – feelings towards
an attitude object. Positive experiences
may lead to a positive attitude towards
future participation
• Behavioural component – involves our
intended or actual behaviour. Often
based on the evaluation of the first two
• Are cognitive and affective components
always an accurate predictor of behaviour?
• With your partner give an example…
Discuss with a partner the reasons how you
know you have a positive attitude towards your
chosen practical activity (refer to 3
components). Suggest how you think this
attitude has developed
Formation of attitudes:
• Why do we need to understand how attitudes
are formed?
• To develop positive attitudes
• Break down negative
stereotyped opinions which
may lead to discrimination and
prejudice
Stereotype:
• Can you give an example of a stereotype?
A
standardised
image or
concept
shared by all
members of a
social group
Discrimination:
• What examples can you give relating to
discrimination?
Unjust treatment of
different categories of
people, especially on the
grounds of race, age or sex
Prejudice
• What does prejudice mean? Can you give an
example?
A formed opinion, especially
an unfavourable one, based
on inadequate facts, often
displaying intolerance or
dislike towards people of a
certain race, religion or
culture that may be different
from their own
Areas which may develop negative
attitudes:
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Negative experiences
Fear of failure
Fear of injury
Negative role models
High task difficulty
Low self-confidence
Lack of support
Cultural beliefs
Stereotypical images
Measurement of attitudes
• Self report questionnaires:
– Thurston scale
– Likert scale
– Osgood’s Semantic Differential scale
Validity and reliability of the data is important to
identify issues and monitor future changes
Thurston scale:
• 100 statements are issued, rated on a scale of 111.
• 11 favourable and 11 unfavourable are chosen
and these form the attitude scale
• Scale provides a comparison with other
individuals
Drawbacks:
– Time consuming
– Large numbers of experts needed to construct the
initial scale
Likert scale
• Statements are constructed to allow the
participant to respond using a 5 point scale.
• Scores are totalled to provide a score
Advantages:
• Allows for a range of answers
• Easy to administer
• Cheap and easy to construct
• Produces reliable data
Osgood’s Semantic Differential scale
• Participant gives the attitude object 7 step
rating
Problems with the collection of data:
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Individuals not responding truthfully
Socially acceptable answers
Misunderstanding the question
Attitudes may be difficult to express in words
Wording of the statement may influence the
answer
Changing attitudes:
• Persuasive communication
Attitude altered by persuasion
4 factors to consider:
1. Status of the messenger/person delivering the
new idea – significant other
2. Quality of the message – clear and
unambiguous. Presented confidently
3. Strength of the current attitude and the
resistance to change – consider how the attitude
was originally formed, the strength of the
current belief and the level of education
4. Situation in which the message is being
delivered – level of support, time and resources
available
Cognitive dissonance:
• Cognitive dissonance refers to a situation
involving conflicting attitudes, beliefs or
behaviors.
• Causes psychological discomfort
• Aim to change one of the components in the
triadic model
If dissonance occurs discomfort can
be removed by…
• Making the thought less
important
• Changing the cognition
• Replacing the cognition
Altering components:
• Cognitive component:
new information can be
provided
• Affective component:
create positive experience
through fun and
enjoyment
• Behavioural component:
ensure success at training
by simplifying skill/
positive reinforcement
Exam question:
• Name and explain the
components of attitudes,
giving an example of how
a basketball player would
display a ‘positive’
attitude (3 marks)