PSY220H1 Chapter : Ch6 Textbook Notes
Document Summary
Attitude is an individual s evaluation of a target. A good-bad judgment; an overall assessment of whether a particular target is positive or negative. Must always be directed at something, ideologies/values, controversial issues, individual people, groups, objects, behaviours. Cognition, the person s beliefs about the object. Ambivalent attitudes are a mix of positive and negative feelings and beliefs. Type of element that is dominant will drive behaviour. Explicit attitudes are those people can report consciously. Implicit attitude is an automatic evaluative response to a target, which can occur without awareness. Reflect low-level (minimal processing) associations between objects and evaluations. Inconsistencies between implicit and explicit attitudes can occur. Common structure to people s perceptions of others attitudes. Extend to which the others are liberal or conservative and traditional or innovative. Attitudes provide rapid evaluations of objects, people, and issues. Give individual a quick assessment of whether targets are likely to be harmful or helpful.
