PSYB10H3 Lecture : Chapter 6 notes- Attitude
7 Aug 2010
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Chapter 6
Attitudes and Attitude Change
Attitude
- an evaluation of a person, object or idea
- They are evaluative based on the fact that they consist of a positive or
negative reaction to something.
- An attitude is made up of three components:
1) Affective component! consisting of emotional reactions toward the
attitude object (ex. Another person or social issue)
2) cognitive component! consisting of thoughts and beliefs about the
attitude object, and
3) Behavioural component! consisting of actions or observable behaviour
toward the attitude object.
Affectively based attitude
- An attitude based primarily on people’s emotions and feelings rather than
on an objective appraisal of pluses and minuses about the attitude object.
- Ex! falling in love with someone regardless of their past violent history, or
liking this one type of car brand despite its gas consumption and etc.
- People tend to have strong positive beliefs about an attitude object, is
spite of having negative beliefs.
- Affectively based attitudes have certain key features in common:
1) They do not result from a rational examination of the issues
2) They are not governed by logic
3) They are often linked to people’s values, so that trying to change them
challenges those values.
Cognitively based attitude
- An attitude based primarily on a person’s beliefs about the properties of an
attitude object.
- The purpose of this kind of attitude is to classify the pluses and minuses of
an object so we can quickly tell whether it is worth our while to have
anything to do with it.
- Attitude is based on your beliefs about the objective merits of particular
brands.
Behaviorally Based Attitude
- An attitude based primarily on observations of how one behaves toward
an attitude object.
- Under certain circumstances people don’t know how they feel until they
see how they behave.
- Ex! Assuming you like to exercise of you always seem to be going for a
run and heading over to the gym frequently.
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Document Summary
An evaluation of a person, object or idea. They are evaluative based on the fact that they consist of a positive or negative reaction to something. An attitude is made up of three components: affective component consisting of emotional reactions toward the attitude object (ex. Another person or social issue: cognitive component consisting of thoughts and beliefs about the attitude object, and, behavioural component consisting of actions or observable behaviour toward the attitude object. An attitude based primarily on people"s emotions and feelings rather than on an objective appraisal of pluses and minuses about the attitude object. Ex falling in love with someone regardless of their past violent history, or liking this one type of car brand despite its gas consumption and etc. People tend to have strong positive beliefs about an attitude object, is spite of having negative beliefs. An attitude based primarily on a person"s beliefs about the properties of an attitude object.
