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Lecture 6

Lecture 6. Attitudes and Attitude Change. Outline. What is an attitude? Definitions 3 categories of evaluative response Attitude functions Values Attitudes and behaviour Attitude formation and change Persuasion Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. Definitions of Attitudes.

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Lecture 6

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  1. Lecture 6 Attitudes and Attitude Change

  2. Outline • What is an attitude? • Definitions • 3 categories of evaluative response • Attitude functions • Values • Attitudes and behaviour • Attitude formation and change • Persuasion • Theory of Cognitive Dissonance

  3. Definitions of Attitudes • An attitude is a mental and neural state of readiness, organized through experience, exerting a directive or dynamic influence upon the individual’s 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)

  4. Functions of Attitudes(Katz, 1960; Katz & Stotland, 1959) • 1. Knowledge: - organize and simplify people’s 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

  5. 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

  6. Value Dimensions (Schwartz, 1992) Self-transcendence Openness to change Self- Direction Universalism Stimulation Benevolence Hedonism Tradition Achievement Conformity Power Security Self-enhancement Conservation

  7. Value Dimensions (Hofstede, 1980) • 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.

  8. CBC Integration Human-heartedness Confucian work dynamism Moral discipline -- Hofstede Collectivism Masculinity -- Power distance (high) Uncertainty avoidance Chinese Culture Connection (1987)

  9. Theory of Reasoned Action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 1985, 1987) Attitude toward the behaviour Behavioural Intentions Behaviour Subjective Norms Perceived Behavioural Control

  10. How are Attitudes Formed? • 1. Direct experience a. with the attitude object b. with associated object • 2. Experience with others a. classical conditioning b. instrumental conditioning c. modelling others’ behavior

  11. 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?

  12. WHO SAYS WHAT TO WHOM UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES? Source (WHO?) a. Credibility: Are they an expert and are they trustworthy? b. Physical attractiveness

  13. WHO SAYS WHAT TO WHOM UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES Message (WHAT?) a. primacy-recency effects b. one- vs. two-sided arguments c. fear arousal

  14. WHO SAYS WHAT TO WHOM UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES? • 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

  15. WHO SAYS WHAT TO WHOM UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES Recipient or Target (TO WHOM?) a) personality traits (self-esteem and intelligence) b) gender c) mood

  16. WHO SAYS WHAT TO WHOM UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES? • Context (UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES?) • a. Situational distractions (noise) • b. overheard message

  17. Cognitive Dissonance Theory (Festinger, 1957) • 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

  18. Attitude change following induced compliance (Festinger & Carlsmith, 1959)

  19. Mean attitudes toward police actions (Cohen, 1962)

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