Attitudes and Behavior

What are some problems with the Reasoned Action Model?

- Cannot explain irrational behaviors. - Assumes people have control over their behaviors - People are not always rational-much behavior is spontaneous and even impulsive

What factors are involved in the relationship between an attitude and a behavior?

-Norm and roles -Scripts -Characteristic of person: self-monitoring, direct experience -Characteristic of the attitude: general vs. specific attitude.

What is accessibility theory?

-attitudes will predict behavior if they can be activated from memory at the time of a decision Accessibility: normally measured by reaction time/how quickly you react to the attitude

What is the compatibility principle?

-importance of measuring attitudes and behaviors at equivalent levels -attitude-behavior perspective that says general attitudes predict behaviors across situations, and specific attitudes forecast a specific behavior that he or she would not otherwise perform

What factors determine whether an attitude will result in a behavior?

1.) Aspects of the situation what are the social norms of the situation? How much time do you have to make a decision in situation? 2.) Characteristics of the person High self monitor: change behavior to match situation Low self monitor: attitude remains same regardless of situation 3.) Qualities of the attitude Are you ambivalent towards the subject? Have you had direct experience with subject? How accessible is your attitude towards subject? General vs. Specific attitude

What are the four parts of the theory?

1.) Attitudes towards the behavior 2.) Perceived norms 3.) Perceived control: how easy or hard to perform the behavior 4.) Intention

What are perceived norms and attitudes towards a behavior?

Perceived norms: Norms refer to acceptable, recommended behavior in a society, Social pressure to perform a particular action. Influence by people who are close. -->Two components: 1.)Injunctive norms (what other people think you should do) 2.)Descriptive norm: perception of what other have done, are doing, or are likely to do in the future. Attitudes towards a behavior: (two elements - just like expectancy-value model ap.78) 1.)Beliefs that the behavior leads to certain outcomes 2.)Evaluation of the outcomes (Values)

What is Perceived Behavioral Control?

Psychological capacity to control the behavior - How much is the behavior under your control - Ex: if a person wants to lose weight, but feels they don't have enough money to afford healthier food, they do not have a high level of perceived control over the behavior and are not likely to perform that behavior Adding perceived control to the model, we can come up with more accurate predictions about when attitudes predict intentions and behavior

How do Self-Monitoring (high or low), Social Norms, Scripts, Time Pressures, Direct Experience, Attitude Accessibility, Ambivalence, and Level of Measurement all affect expression of an attitude?

Social Norms Weak norms Attitudes will predict behavior People's attitude toward their job does not predict attendance because there's strong normative pressure to show up to work When it comes to decorating, women have less pressure on them to conform to masculine taste Women less influenced by gender norms Time Pressure Generally they find that when there is high time pressure, you have to make a decision quickly, then attitudes predict behavior more strongly People who have prejudice or sexist attitudes are more likely to act under those attitudes in time pressure Looking at applications people used the gender more under time preferences while making decisions Scripts: "An organized bundle of expectations about an event sequence" o Example: Telemarketers use a pleasant intro, follow up for money, plea to keep you on the phone.

How does Accessibility Theory differ from the Reasoned Action Model in terms of predicting how attitudes influence behavior?

The accessibility approach can help account for attitude-behavior relations in cases where a behavior is enacted spontaneously, rather than deliberately, and with minimal cognitive awareness.

What are the reasons why some attitudes are reflected in behavior while others are not?

The attitude must come spontaneously to mind in a situation; activated from memory The attitude must influence perceptions of an issue or person, serving as a filter through which the object is viewed

How do general and specific attitudes both serve to predict behavior?

The more positive your attitude towards an object is (i.e. Religion), the more likely you are to engage in behaviors (i.e. going to church) that relate to object

What is the Reasoned Action Model?

Theory of attitude and behavior stipulating that behavior can be predicted by inclusion of attitude, social norms, perceived behavioral control, lead to behavioral intention, which leads to behavior People are typically rational and intentional in the behaviors they perform. Beliefs tend to be acted upon in a consistent manner (Perloff, 136)

What are injunctive and descriptive norms and how do they affect perceived norms?

injunctive norms: what you think other people think you should do Descriptive norms: perception of what others have done, are doing, or are likely to do in the future

What is the difference between a Specific Attitude and a General Attitude?

specific attitude- attitude towards the behavior -->evaluation of a single act or specific behavior that takes place in a particular context at a particular time. ex: going to church every sunday global(general) attitude- attitude towards the object. Covers a lot ex: having a positive attitude towards Religion

What is attitude towards the behavior and attitude towards the object?

specific attitude- attitude towards the behavior global(general) attitude- attitude towards the object