Attitude

Predisposition to evaluate a person, event or situation in a certain way and act

according to that evaluation
Attitude is a state of mind
Changing people behaviour by changing the state of mind (attitude)
As to stop polluting water, quite smoking or voting behaviour

COMPONENT OF ATTITUDE
COGNITIVE
o Our thought, belief and ideas about something
o STEREOTYPE
It stereotype mental picture- complex reality to simple reality to easily
comprehend it
Although stereotyping convenient, lack accuracy
AFFECTIVE
o Feeling and emotion evoked by objects, event or situation
o Fear, sympathy, pity, anger, envy, love
o As, idea of using the same washroom or blacking moving in neighborhood
BEHAVIORAL
o Disposition to act in certain way
FUNCTION OF ATTITUDE
People hold attitude because it help them achieve their basic goals (biological food,
sleep, sex or social recognition, privilege, power)
4 type of psychological functions
o ADJUSTMENT
To maximize the rewards and minimise the penalties
As favoring politician who will bring advancement in income
o EGO-DEFENSE
Protect us from acknowledging the basic harsh realities in life
As failing student incompetent teacher, alcoholic to overindulges
o VALUE-EXPRESSIVE
o KNOWLEDGE
Search for meaning and understanding of events
FORMATION OF ATTITUDE
We are not born with attitude
A newborn baby have no attitude toward a snake
o CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
Repeatedly associated with evoking positive or negative feelings.
Players develop a strong likening for bat with it they made good runs
o OPERANT CONDITIONING
Children are taught certain attitudes by rewarding and punishment
o OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING
Children learn their attitude about ethnicity, neighbors, and ideology by
observing parents
FACTORING INFLUENCING THE FORMATION OF ATTITUDE
o Family
o Reference group
o Direct personal experience
o Media exposure
MAINTENANCE OF ATTITUDE
Once formed, attitude persist; people like to continue the attitude
o MOTIVATIONAL BIAS
Discount the contradictory information as irrelevant
o REFERENCE GROUP MEMBERSHIP
RG resist any change in attitude
o REWARDS AND PUNISHMENT
Help in achieving the goals, even if it is negative
o PUBLIC COMMITMENT
As protesting for reservation policy
o ATTITUDE GREATLY SHAPED IDENTITY
CHANGE IN ATTITUDE
Attitudes that are still in the formative stage, and are more like opinions, are much
more likely to change compared to attitudes that have become firmly established
Process of attitude change
o LEARNING THEORY
Classical conditioning, instrumental conditioning and observational
learning
o CONCEPT OF BALANCE
P-O-X balance; P- person to be studied, O- other person, X- situation
Change in state of imbalance in P-O, O-X, P-X attitude
IMBALANCE IS FOUND
o All three sides of the P-O-X triangle are negative, or
o Two sides are positive, and one side is negative.
BALANCE IS FOUND
o All three sides are positive, or
o Two sides are negative, and one side is positive.
Dowry example P-like it, O dislike it
o COGNITIVE DISSONANCE
Cognitive components of an attitude must be consonant (opposite of
dissonant)
Example
Cognition I: Pan Masala causes mouth cancer which is fatal.
Cognition II: I eat pan masala.
Make any individual feel that something is out of tune, or
dissonant. Therefore, one of these ideas will have to be changed,
so that consonance can be attained.
PERSUASION
Persuasion is a process in which communicator try to convince other to change their
attitude and behavior
Key elements in persuasion
o Persuasion is symbolic, using words, image
o Deliberate attempt to influence others
o People are not coerced; they are free to choose
Persuasive communication have a great impact on our attitude.
Advertisement through TV, radio, internet spread persuasive messages




FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ATTITUDE CHANGE
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EXISTING ATTITUDE
o Valence (positivity or negativity)
o Extremeness (how positive or negative)
o Simplicity or Complexity - complex if it is made up of many attitudes
o Centrality role of a particular attitude in the attitude system.
SOURCE CHARACTERISTICS
o CREDIBLE OR TRUSTWORTHY
Attitudes are more likely to change when the message comes from a
highly credible source rather than from a low-credible source
o EXPERTNESS
Expert are more persuasive than non-expert
o LIKING OR ATTRACTIVE
More we like the source more persuasive he will be
o SIMILARITY
More influenced by the person similar to ue
o MULTIPLE SOURCES
Multiple source are more persuasive than single source
MESSAGE CHARACTERISTICS
o FEAR APPEAL
High fear message is more persuasive anti smoking, seat-belt, helmet
o CONCLUSIVE DRAWING
Presenting argument to state conclusion is more effective
o ONE-SIDED VERSUS TWO-SIDED COMMUNICATIONS
One-sided communication more effective when audience is poorly
educated
Two-sided well educated
TARGET CHARACTERISTICS
o OPEN AND FLEXIBLE- more prone to change (ads benefitted by them)
o STRONG PREJUDICE less prone to change
o SELF-ESTEEM - low self-esteem person change more easily
o INTELLIGENCE more intelligent less easily, however more willingly of reasoning.
ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR
We usually expect behaviour to follow logically from attitudes. However, an individuals
attitudes may not always be exhibited through behaviour
Consistency between attitudes and behaviour when:
o Attitude is strong
o No external pressure
o Not being evaluated or watched
o Having positive consequences
Example: Hostels negative attitude towards Chinese couple and positive behavior to
give rooms to them
INTENSION
o Plays an important role in driving attitude towards behavior
o If intension is avoided, real attitude transformed into real behavior
ATTITUDE STRENGTH
o Depends upon the strength of attitude, decide attitude-behavior consistency
o 3 factors which strengthen attitude
ATTITUDE EXTREMITY
Feeling strongly in one direction or other about an issue
More the vested interest- more strong attitude
As, banning of drinking
ATTITUDE CERTAINTY
Repeated use of goal-driven behavior
As, Bush-repeated necessity of Iraq war-war was right
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

POLITICAL ATTITUDE
Attitude of people to the areas of public life political psychology
(LEFT TO RIGHT) - Radical, liberal, moderate and conservative, reactionary
CHANGE OR POLICY OPTIONS
o DIRECTION OF CHANGE
Types
Progressive change
o Not mean good or bad
o Change from status quo to something new
Retrogressive change
o Return to a policy or institutions existed in past
o Only reactionary is progressive, even conservation are
progressive
Problem in placing
Attitude on various issues range from two or more sectors
If supporting liberal policy frequently -> liberal
o DEPTH OF CHANGE
More dissatisfaction with existing order and more intense their desire to
change
o SPEED TO CHANGE
More upset with the status quo, more rapid change they want
o METHOD OF CHANGE
Options
Official or unofficial
Legally or illegally
Violently or peacefully
Smoothly or abruptly
Conservative satisfied with system more likely be law-abiding and
patriotic
Radicals, liberals or reactionary more difficult for them to follow laws

TERMS ON POLITICAL SPECTRUM
RADICAL
o Extremely dissatisfied with the system
o Favors immediate and fundamental change
o All radicals favor revolutionary changes
o PACIFISTS
Completely rejects violence as a means to bring change
Gandhi, Martin Luther king jr.
LIBERAL
o Less satisfied with the fundamental of society
o Support the basic features of society
o Recognize the deficiencies in the society, anxious to reform
o DIFFERENT FROM RADICAL
Liberal are different from radical in their support to the law or political
system
Try to change the law through legal procedure
o BY-PRODUCT OF ENLIGHTENMENT
Optimism about peoples ability to solve the problem through reasons
o Types
Classical liberalism
Natural law apply to all
Contemporary liberalism
Humanity
Equality
MODERATE
o Fundamentally satisfied with the society
o Recognize several specific areas in need for improvement
CONSERVATIVE
o Most supportive of status quo and reluctant to change
o Conservative oppose change because they doubt that it will result in something
better, not because they do not desire improvement
REACTIONARY
o Proposes retrogressive changes
o Return society to a previous condition
o As, application of sharia law (ancient law of Koran)
MORAL ATTITUDE