Attitude Definition:: (Type Text) Dr.A.Enoch, Asst. Professor, Psychology, MSSW
Attitude Definition:: (Type Text) Dr.A.Enoch, Asst. Professor, Psychology, MSSW
Attitude Definition:: (Type Text) Dr.A.Enoch, Asst. Professor, Psychology, MSSW
Definition:
It is and enduing pattern of feelings, beliefs and behaviour tendencies towards other people or
ideas or objects or values.
Characteristics:
Formation of attitude:
Theories of attitude:
1. Learning theories
Doob(1947) proposed that the principles of classical and operant conditioning could be used to
explain the formation and change of attitude.
Objects, people or events associated with pleasant experience may have favorable evaluation,
while those associated with unpleasant experience may be evaluated negatively.
In instrumental conditioning the reinforcement maintain the occurrence of any behaviour and it
is relvent to attitude formation and change.
Membership and acceptance in particular groups is often contigent upon the attitudes one
expresses. Eg. Church, peer group, clubs.
[Type text]
Dr.A.Enoch, Asst. Professor, Psychology, MSSW.
2. Consistency theories.
Balance theory:
Peter Peter
+ + _ _
Balanced Balanced
Peter
+ +
Binny _ Preetha
Unbalanced
It explains how attitudes are consistent / stale and persistent. There is a tendency to maintain or
restore balance in once attitude structure. Unbalanced structurism uncomfortable and unpleasant.
People express a preference for balance structure and “fill in” incomplete structures in such a
way as to maintain balance. Thus is a tendency towards balance and the unbalanced structure
produces tension and discomfort.
Cognitive Dissonance:
Like balance theory it assumes that every individual strive for harmony (consonance) among the
elements in their cognitive or thought or structure. The creation of dissonance(disharmony) is
stressful. The dissonance created, motivate the individual to restore the consonance. But
according to CD theory dissonance will occur under wider set of circumstances than the creation
of imbalance.
According to Fertinger any 2 related cognitive elements do not fit together if they violate general
logic or the persons expectation.
[Type text]
Dr.A.Enoch, Asst. Professor, Psychology, MSSW.
Eg. For consonance
The amount of dissonance or consonance decreases or increases based upon the importance of
cognitive element and individual possess.
The formation or the change of attitude depends on how the recipient of the message deals with
the new information. It emphasis the roll of the person’s cognitive organisation in determining
how information is interpreted, remembered and retrieved. Eg. Soap add in TV and how a person
uses it.
Measurement of attitudes:
1. Physiological measures
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Dr.A.Enoch, Asst. Professor, Psychology, MSSW.
Factors in attitude change:
1. Source of the message – from a person a group or an institution, the credibility of the
source and attractiveness is important.
Eg. Cine personalities, sports personalities used in advertisement.
2. Content of the message – mainly suggestive
Eg. Fair and lovely
3. Appeals to fear
Eg. Advertisement against cigarettes , alcohol.
4. Receiver of the message.
a. Influencibility
b. Selective attention and interpretation
c. Immunization
Attitude change:
1. Persuasion
2. When they become members of new group
3. Religious / cultural change
4. Travel and new experience.
[Type text]
Dr.A.Enoch, Asst. Professor, Psychology, MSSW.