PSYCH 360 Chapter Notes -Beautiful Music, Logical Reasoning
Document Summary
Utilitarian function, attitudes alert us to rewarding objects we should approach and to costly or punishing objects we should avoid. When your attitudes towards goal-relevant objects are positive, you are more likely to engage in goal-relevant behavior. Attitudes can be altered through consumer products, persuasive messages and other emotionally arousing stimuli. Ego-defensive function, protects us from unpleasant facts or emotions. We do this in order to maintain cherished beliefs about ourselves and our world. Conservatives are resistant to change and believe in the endorsement of inequality. They show higher levels of fear than others and show less interest in new technological innovations. They gravitate toward beliefs tat envision a structured and orderly world. Value-expression function, captures a more social dimension of attitudes: that attitudes help us express our most cherished values, usually in values can be supported and reinforced. Reference groups, groups whose opinions matter to us and that affect our opinions and beliefs.