Attitudes
Two Definitions
1. Tricomponent view
2. Single component view
Characteristics of Attitudes
Where Attitudes are learned
How Attitudes are formed
1. Operant conditioning
2. Classical conditioning
Functions of Attitudes
Measurement of Attitudes
1. self-report measures
2. covert measures
Links between attitudes and behavior
ways to increase a/b/c correlations
Attitude – general evaluations people
make about themselves, other persons,
objects or issues.
Tricomponent view –view that an attitude
is a combination of affective, behavioral,
and cognitive reactions to an object.
(think, feel, and do).
a. affective reaction---favorable or
unfavorable. What you feel.
b. Behavioral – attitudes
predispose you to behavior a
certain way.
c. Cognitive – beliefs
Single-component view – an attitude is the
intensity of positive or negative affect
toward an object……….some support for
this idea because there is often
inconsistency in the three components.
Characteristics of Attitudes (IDEEL)
a. Evaluative --- an attitude involves
like or dislike (affect)
b. Directed – attitude is toward
something
c. Enduring (relatively) – attitudes are
more stable than emotions---attitudes have enduring qualities
d. Influence Behavior – like prejudice
leading to discrimination
e. Learned—acquire attitudes from
experience
Where Attitudes are learned
1. Parents—Parent most important
force in development, so most important
determinant of development of attitude.
Why?---- they control most of the
rewards. Control most of the incoming
information.
2. Reference Group--- often peers are
a reference group………a group against
which our attitudes and values can be
compared.
How attitudes formed
1. Operant or Instrumental
conditioning – when a behavior or
response that is emitted in the presence of
a situational stimulus and is followed by a
reinforcing stimulus.
2. Classical conditioning – learning
that stresses the association between a
neutral stimulus and a stimulus that
produces an emotion response.
Pavlov (1927)—first to observe such
conditioning. Sounded bell just before
offering meat to hungry dog. After a few
pairings the dog began to salivate at the
bell, though the bell bore no logical
connection to the meat. Neither a reward
for eating nor instrumental in the dog’s
receiving a reward; it was associated with
the meat simply b/c it was contiguous in
time with it.
Function of Attitude (VIKE)
1. Instrumental – help us gain rewards
and avoid punishments.
2. Ego-defensive -- help us avoid
personality conflicts and anxiety
3. Value-expressive – reflects deeper
values and ideas
4. Knowledge – help us order and
assimilate complex information --give meaning (structure) to the
world.
Measurement of Attitude
1. Self-report – easiest and most
common way to measure attitude.
 problemspeople may be
more concerned with making a
good impression.
 One solution is the “bogus
pipeline”  tell subjects we
have a way to know if you are
telling the truth.
 Types of Self Report
i. Thurstone scale – series of
statements about an attitude
object that are positive and
negative. Subjects check
statements they agree with.
ii. Likert Scale -- most
popular…Subjects presented
with a list of statements about
an attitude object, and then
on 5 point scale tell how
strongly they agree or
disagree with each statement.
Example:
Short people have no reason to live.
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
strongly
strongly
disagree
agree
iii. Semantic Differential –
Subjects tell how good or bad
they feel about a certain
object or person
2. Covert Measures – indirect
measures – used to get more
accurate report.
Example – reaction time, emg
(electromyography).
Link between Attitudes and Behavior
(attitude-behavior consistency)
---initially people thought that if you
asked someone their attitude that you
could use it to predict their behavior, but
a review of the literature in 1960’s
indicated that attitudes had little
predictive validity.
--example…. La Piere (1934) took a
Japanese couple to 251 restaurants and
hotels and were only refused service once.
Six months later each vendor.
was sent a questionnaire asking if they
would accept Japanese patrons. 128
responded and 90% said no.
How can we better predict behavior from
attitudes?
1. Increase attitude specificity—
instead of emphasizing general,
global attitudes we should focus on
attitude measures that closely
match the behavior in question.
Example… to determine whether a
student will be on time for his 9am
psychology course you wouldn’t want
to ask him “how much do you enjoy
studying psychology” instead you
want to be specific and ask “how do
you feel about being late for
psychology class,” or even better “
how do you feel about being late for
your 9am psychology class.”
--each increase in a question’s
specificity results in higher attitudebehavior correlations.
2. Take into account factors from the
Theory Reasoned Action 
Behavior is influenced not only by
attitudes, but by subjective norms
(our beliefs about what others
think we should do) and behavioral
intentions. Accounting for these
variables leads to better prediction
of behavior from attitudes.
Attitudes
|

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Subjective norms
behavioral
intentions
Beh.
3. Typicality  attitudes directed at
typical versus atypical group members
are better predictors of behavior.
Behavioral Influences on Attitudes
Self-Perception Theory – we infer our
attitudes from our behaviors.
Persuasive Techniques
 Foot in the door – if someone grants a
small request, then they are more likely to
later grant a large request.
Low-Ball Technique – get people to
comply with a request, and then reveal
hidden costs.
Door in the Face – to get something
small, start by asking for something
big…people more likely to grant a small
request if they first refuse a large request.
Cognitive Dissonance—Festinger’s
famous peg-turning experiment
Arousal from having two opposing
ideas(dissonant cognitions), creates a
motivational state to remove the
dissonant cognitions either by changing
them or changing your behavior.
Boring Task  Pay $20 Lie Rate task (neg)
Boring Task  Pay $1  Lie Rate task (pos)
Those paid $1 did not have sufficient
justification to lie, and so they changed
their mind about the task and rated it
more enjoyable than the $20 groups who
had justification.