Chapter 6 ~ Attitudes

3 factors to consider when evaluating attitude

1. Strength of attitude 2. Specificity 3. Accessability

Rudman 2004

4 factors that determine an implicit or explicit attitude 1. Early experiences 2. Affective experiences 3. Cultural biases 4. Cognitive consistency principles

Conditioned response (CR)

A learned response to the conditioned stimulus that was previously a neutral stimulus

Unconditioned response (UCR)

A response that occurs automatically in reaction to some stimulus, without learning taking place

Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

A stimulus that elicits a response automatically, without learning taking place

Conditioned stimulus (CS)

A stimulus that, only by repeated association with a particular unconditioned stimulus, comes to evoke the response associated with the unconditioned stimulus

Implicit Association Test (IAT)

A test that measures how easily we associate categories with positive or negative attitudes, including measures in categories ranging from racial and religious attitudes to attitudes about politics • Uses a bit of deception to assess implicit attitudes • Some argue that the IAT only measures associations, and not actual attitudes

Classical conditioning

A type of learning by which a neutral stimulus gets paired with a stimulus (UCS) that elicits a response (UCR) Through repeated pairings, the neutral stimulus (CS) by itself elicits the response (CR) of the second stimulus **IVAN PAVLOV AND HIS SALIVATING DOGS**

Operant conditioning

A type of learning in which the frequency of a behavior is determined by reinforcement and punishment - positive reinforcement, positive negative reinforcement - positive punishment, negative punishment

Chronic accessibility

Accessibility arising from frequent and recent exposure to a construct that has permanence (accessable ALL of the time)

Observational learning

Acquiring an attitude or behavior due to the observation of others exhibiting that attitude or behavior • can explain how we acquire attitudes, fears, opinions, or specific behaviors

Easier

Attitudes are _________ to assess if they are explicit versus implicit

Explicit attitudes

Attitudes of which one is AWARE, and can control ex: overcoming your fear of dogs and loving dogs

Implicit attitudes

Attitudes that are automatically formed and activated without our even being aware of it ex: a small child being afraid of a big dog

Post decision dissonance

Cognitive dissonance that results from having to reject one appealing choice in favor of another ex: After you chose which college to attend, did you start to find flaws with the ones you rejected (or that rejected you)?

4 steps that are needed for change to occur

Cooper & Fazio 1984 1. Recognition that a discrepancy has negative consequence 2. Personal responsibility for an action 3. Physiological arousal 4. Attribution of that arousal to an action

More

Cultural biases have ___________ influence on implicit attitudes.

Sometimes

Do attitudes influence behavior?

Recent

Explicit attitudes are formed in reaction to more __________ experiences.

Attitudes

Having an evaluative component toward a stimulus that is made up of: - affective - behavioral - cognitive information • can vary in tone (pos or neg) and strength (mild or passionate)

Cognitive consistency principles

I like X and Y is X so I must like Y. ex: If you like comedies and you've been invited on a date to see a comedy, you'll probably have a positive attitude about your plans

Early

Implicit attitudes stem from ___________ experiences.

Self report measures

Questionnaires that ask us to describe our own attitudes or opinions

Positive punishment

Refers to the addition of an undesirable stimulus in order to reduce a behavior ex: spanking

Negative punishment

Refers to the removal of something pleasurable in order to decrease the frequency of a behavior ex: parents taking away your car because your grades were low

Negative reinforcement

Refers to the removal of something unpleasant in order to increase the likelihood of repetition of a behavior ex: if you improve your grades, you don't have to go to boring tutoring sessions

Ambivalence

Simultaneously experiencing strong contradictory emotions or motivations "mixed feelings"

Positive reinforcement

The addition of a desirable item in order to reinforce or increase the likelihood or repetition of a behavior ex: parents offering you $ for every A you get

Cognitive dissonance

The anxiety that arises from acting in a way discordant with your attitudes. This anxiety is resolved by adjusting one's attitudes to be in line with the behavior • Can be used to promote healthy behaviors ex: safe sex, flossing, tobacco use

Accessibility

The degree to which a concept is active in our consciousness

Mere exposure effect

The phenomenon whereby objects become better liked with exposure (we like things more with which we are familiar)

Strength of attitude

The stronger an attitude, the more likely we are to behave in accordance with that position

Name letter effect

The tendency to show a preference for letters in our own name and prefer stimuli that contain those letters

Theory of planned behavior

The theory that attitudes, social norms, and the perceived control of the individual lead to behavior

Self affirmation theory

The theory that we are more open to attitudinal change when we have recently been given an opportunity to affirm our core values and identity

Specificity

Very specific attitudes are more likely to be acted on than general attitudes

Impression management

We attempt to control how others perceive us by regulating the information we give about ourselves

Behavioral component of an attitude

What actions do you intend to take (or not take)?

Cognitive component of an attitude

What do you think or know about the stimulus?

Affective component of an attitude

What feelings or emotions are evoked by the stimulus?

BF Skinner

elaborated on operant conditioning

Edward Thorndike

first discovered operant conditioning

Optimistic attitudes

improve immune functioning

LaPiere 1934

restaurant owners stated they would allow Chinese patrons, but six months later did not

Corey 1937

university students stated that they felt cheating was wrong, but 76% cheated on a difficult exam