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particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavor" (Eagly & Chaiken, 1993)
An attitude is "a relatively enduring organization of beliefs,
feelings, and behavioral tendencies towards socially significant objects, groups, events or symbols" (Hogg & Vaughan, 2005)
Structure of Attitudes
Attitudes structure can be described in terms of three components.
Affective Behavioral Cognitive
Affective component
This involves a persons feelings / emotions about the
Behavioral component
The way the attitude we have, influences how we act or
behave. For example: I will avoid spiders and scream if I see one.
Cognitive component
This involves a persons belief / knowledge about an
2. Self expressive. The attitudes we express (1) Helps in communicating who we are and (2) may make us feel good because we have asserted our identity. Self-expression of attitudes can be non-verbal too: cap, or Tshirt slogan. Therefore, our attitudes are part of our identity, and help us to be aware through expression of our feelings, beliefs and values.
3. Adaptive. If a person holds and/or expresses socially acceptable attitudes, other people will reward them with approval and social acceptance.
the adaptive functions helps us fit in with a social group.
4.The ego-defensive function refers to holding attitudes that protect our self-esteem or that justify actions that make us feel guilty. Individuals whose pride has suffered following a defeat in sport might similarly adopt a defensive attitude: Im not bothered, Im sick of football anyway.
attitudes help a person to mediate between their own inner needs (expression, defense) and the outside world (adaptive and knowledge).
In the broader sense there is a positive attitude a negative attitude a neutral attitude.
List of Attitudes
Acceptance Confidence Seriousness Optimism Pessimism Interest Independent Jealous Courteous Cooperative Considerate Gratitude
Inferiority arrogant Happiness Frankness Respectful Authority Sincerity determined Honest Sincere caring Cheerful
Responsible Realistic Faithful Flexible influential Trusting Thoughtful firm Loving Satisfaction Hostile Generous
Reliable Tolerant Kind Humble Cautious Suspicious insincere Helping Hardworking stubbornness
with different
situations
and
It is possible for a human being to change or unlearn their attitudes as attitudes are learned. One needs to change the way he or she thinks, behaves, and feels in order to change the attitude.
Personal Experience
Attitude
Attitude Change
Attitudes can have a powerful effect on behavior, they are not set in stone. The same influences that lead to attitude formation can also create attitude change.
Classical conditioning, operant conditioning and observational learning can be used to bring about attitude change. Classical conditioning can be used to create positive emotional reactions to an object, person or event by associating positive feelings with the target object. Operant conditioning can be used to strengthen desirable attitudes and weaken undesirable ones. People can also change their attitudes after observing the behavior of others.
This theory of persuasion suggests that people can alter their attitudes in two ways.
First, they can be motivated to listen and think about the
message, thus leading to an attitude shift. Secondly they might be influenced by characteristics of the speaker, leading to a temporary or surface shift in attitude.
Messages that are thought-provoking and that appeal to logic are more likely to lead to permanent changes in attitudes.
As mentioned earlier, people can also change their attitudes when they have conflicting beliefs about a topic. In order to reduce the tension created by these incompatible beliefs, people often shift their attitudes.