1 / 24

Attitudes and Consistency Theories

Attitudes and Consistency Theories. Definition: An attitude is a psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating something with a degree of favor or disfavor” Attitudes are: Learned or acquired Predispositions to respond Evaluative, e.g., favorable or unfavorable

hetal
Télécharger la présentation

Attitudes and Consistency Theories

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Attitudes and Consistency Theories

  2. Definition: An attitude is a psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating something with a degree of favor or disfavor” • Attitudes are: • Learned or acquired • Predispositions to respond • Evaluative, e.g., favorable or unfavorable • Directed toward something (attitude object) What is an attitude?

  3. Likert scales • Known as “equal appearing interval” scales • 5-7 scale points • Ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree • Uncertainty regarding the neutral point Sample Likert-Type Scale Item The death penalty should be abolished. _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ strongly moderately neutral/ moderately strongly agree agree not sure disagree disagree Self report scales

  4. Semantic Differential Scales • Based on the connotations of words • Relies on bipolar adjectives (antonyms) • 5-7 scale points • Respondent checks the “semantic space” between the antonyms • Uncertainty regarding the neutral space Sample scale items from McCroskey’s Ethos Scale Kanye West expert ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ inexpert unselfish ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ selfish timid ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ bold tense ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ relaxed trained ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ untrained Self report scales

  5. The IAT measures the strength of associations between concepts (e.g., black people, gay people) and positive or negative attitudes or stereotypes. • making a response is easier/faster when closely related items share the same response key. https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/ Implicit Association Test

  6. Visual analog scale How much do you favor establishing a federal handgun registry? stronglystrongly oppose favor Visual scales

  7. Attitude-Behavior Correlation (ABC) is stronger when: • A specific attitude is being measured. • Multiple measures of the attitude are made. • The attitude is based on personal experience. • The attitude was formed via central processing. • Attitudes central to the belief system are involved. • The respondents are low self-monitors. • The attitude is accessible or can be activated. Attitude-Behavior Correlation

  8. Social Desirability Bias • Respondents may provide the “socially correct” response. • Non-Attitudes • Respondents may make up opinions so as not to appear uninformed. • Acquiescence Bias • Respondents may provide the answer they think the investigator wants to hear. • Mindfulness • Respondents may not be aware of their own attitudes. Pitfalls in Measuring Attitudes

  9. Appearances • Clothing, artifacts, and other appearance cues • Associations • Memberships, affiliations, social networks • Behavior • Actions, habits, lifestyles • Physiological measures • Galvanic skin response, facial electromyography, fMRI Other Ways of Inferring Attitudes

  10. Attitudes exist in associative networks. • Association are often unconscious or implicit. • Changes in one attitude may have a “ripple effect” elsewhere in a person’s cognitive system. • Persuaders seek to establish connections among attitudes. • The goal is to link their product, brand, idea to favorable attitudes. contraception school prayer abortion sex education family values family leave premarital sex divorce Consistency Theories marital fidelity child support dead-beat dads

  11. Image-Oriented Advertising • brands are matched with idealized lifestyles. • Symbols are appropriated and paired with brands. • Brand Personality • Associations endow brands with human qualities. • fun, sophisticated, tough, youthful. • Sloganeering • Slogans foster favorable associations. • “Breakfast of Champions” (Wheaties) • “Diamonds are forever” (DeBeers) • Sponsorship • Brought to you by… Manufacturing Positive Associations

  12. A teen admires a particular brand, image, or lifestyle. • For example, iPhones and iTunes • A new product is paired with that brand or lifestyle. • Ads for a new energy drink show teens listening to their iPods while enjoying the drink. • The teen comes to equate the product with the brand. • The energy drink seems to go with iPhones and iTunes. + + ? Buzz-Cola Image-Oriented Advertising

  13. People desire consistency. • People prefer a state of harmony among their attitudes, beliefs, behaviors. • Inconsistency causes psychological discomfort. • The magnitude of dissonance • The degree of psychological discomfort depends on the centrality of the attitudes. • Greater attitude salience results in greater dissonance. • People are motivated to restore consistency. Psychological Consistency

  14. A child admires Popeye. • The child doesn’t like to eat spinach. • Popeye is positively associated with spinach. • This is a cognitively imbalanced state, which should motivate the child to change one of the associations. + + - Parenting and Consistency Theory

  15. Balanced psychological states Any combination of even minus signs, or all plus signs is psychologically comfortable. - - + + + + - - - - + + • Unbalanced psychological states • Any combination of odd minus signs, or all minus signs is psychologically uncomfortable. - - - - + + + + Balanced Vs. Imbalanced States - - + +

  16. Denial: ignoring the inconsistency • Bolstering: adding rationalizations • Differentiation: distinguishing between the conflicting and non-conflicting elements • Transcendence: looking at the larger picture • Modifying attitudes: changing one or more associations • Communicating: convincing others one is being consistent Methods of Maintaining Consistency

  17. People seek to maintain a stable, positive, self-concept . • People rationalize their choices and actions in light of their self-concept. • Behavior that contradicts one’s beliefs or self-concept causes dissonance. • Making a decision produces dissonance or “buyer’s remorse.” • The more important the decision, the greater the dissonance. Cognitive Dissonance

  18. Lyle, a commuter, buys a large, 4 X 4, SUV. • Soon afterward, the price of gasoline soars. • Every time he fills up the tank, he experiences dissonance. - + + Dissonance in Action

  19. Some ways Lyle could reduce his dissonance include: • Convince himself the “gas guzzler” would also be safer in a crash. • Take up off-road sports to justify the vehicle’s other capabilities. • Coach a soccer team or little league team to justify having all those seats. • Sell or trade-in the car at a loss and chalk it up to “experience.” Dissonance in Action

  20. Free choice paradigm • the more free choice one has in making a decision, the more dissonance one will suffer. • Belief disconfirmation • Exposure to information contrary to strongly held beliefs may increase adherence to those beliefs (e.g., stubbornness). • Induced compliance • When a person is forced to do something, little dissonance is aroused. • The person can rationalize the action by saying “I had no choice.” • Effort justification • The greater the effort or sacrifice involved, the greater the dissonance. The Magnitude of Dissonance

  21. Rationalizing • which is not the same as being rational. • Selective exposure • Paying attention only to information that supports the choice made. • Avoiding information that is inconsistent with the choice made. • Polarization of alternatives • Exaggerating the differences between the alternatives once the choice is made. • Any of the strategies for maintaining cognitive consistency • Denial • Bolstering • Differentiation • Transcendence • Modifying one or more cognitions • Communicating Ways of Reducing Dissonance

  22. Also known as “reverse psychology” • Backlash: A perceived threat to one’s freedom produces a defensive reaction. • Forbidden fruit: Outlawing something may make it even more attractive. • Examples: • A pushy salesperson may drive customers away. • When restrictions are placed on firearms, firearm sales increase dramatically before the ban takes effect. • A parent who criticizes a daughter’s boyfriend may drive the daughter into the boyfriend’s arms. Psychological Reactance

  23. Playing “Devil’s Advocate”: Advocating a contrary position shifts one’s attitudes toward the contrary position. • No external incentives should be present. • The advocacy should be volitional (not compelled). • The advocacy should be public (in writing or out loud). • The person will internalize the choice to advocate the contrary position. • The person’s attitudes will shift (partially) toward the contrary position. Counterattitudinal Advocacy

  24. Once we are committed to a course of action, it is hard to turn back. • A car owner may “throw good money after bad” making one repair after another. • Gamblers may double their bets every time they lose. • Social customs are designed to increase commitments. • Wedding customs • Initiation rituals • Commitments can grow legs. • People add additional justifications for their original decision. Commitment

More Related