Attitude

Attitude

“The greatest discovery of our generation is

that human beings can alter their lives by

altering their attitudes of mind.”

William James

What is Attitude?

• Are our preferences

• Our disposition to respond favorably or

unfavorably

• Are our likes and dislikes

Definition of Attitude?

• “An attitude is a psychological tendency that is

expressed by evaluating a particular entity

with some degree of favor or disfavor” (Eagly & Chaiken,

1993)

• “Attitude is an association in memory between

a given object and a given summary

evaluation of the object.” (Russell Fazio 1995)

Definition of Attitude?

• “An attitude is an enduring positive or

negative feeling about some person, object or

issue.” (Patty & Cacioppo 1981)

• “Attitude is the categorization of stimulus

object along an evaluative dimension.” (Zanna & Rempel

1986)

Assumptions Implicit in the term ATTITUDE

• Attitudes are subjective experiences

• Attitudes are experiences of some issue or

object

• Attitudes involve evaluative judgments

• Attitudes may be expressed through language

and non verbally

Assumptions Implicit in the term ATTITUDE

• Expressions of attitude are in principle

intelligible: When other people express their

attitudes, we can understand them. We may

not know why they feel as they do, but within

limits we know what they feel.

Assumptions Implicit in the term ATTITUDE

• Attitudes are communicated: Expressions of

attitudes are not simply intelligible, they are

typically made as to be perceived and understood

by others.

• People who hold different attitudes towards an

object will differ in what they believe is true or

false about that object

Can anything be an ATTITUDE object?

• Abstract objects (liberalism)

• Concrete objects

• One Self (Self esteem)

• Other individuals

• Social issues

• Social groups

History of Research

• “The concept of

attitude is probably the

most distinctive and

indispensable concept

in contemporary

American Sociology”

History of Research

Richard La Piere (1934)

Kurt Lewin

• Conformity

• Group dynamics

• Power

Theodor Adorno

• What leads individuals

to develop

authoritarian

attitudes?

Dynamics of Persuasion

Dynamics of Persuasion

Yale School

• How individual’s

respond to persuasive

messages?

• “When” & “How”

attitude changes

Daniel Katz

• Why do people hold

attitudes? (1950’s)

• Study of attitude

functions

Attitude Content

Attitude Content

Multicomponent model (Eagly & Chaiken, 1993; Zanna & Rempel, 1988)

Attitudes are summary evaluations of an object that

have

• Cognitive

• Affective

• Behavioral

Cognitive Component

• Cognitive component of attitudes refers to the

beliefs, thoughts, and attributes we associate

with an object.

• In many cases, a person’s attitude might be

based primarily upon the positive and negative

attributes they associate with an object

Affective Component

• Component of attitudes refers to feelings or

emotions linked to an attitude object.

• Affective responses influence attitudes in a

number of ways. A primary way in which feelings

shape attitudes is through feelings that are

aroused in response to an attitude object.

Behavioral Component

• Behavioral component of attitudes refers to

past behaviors or experiences regarding an

attitude object.

CAB Components are they Different?

Steven Breckler (1984)

• Cognitive: snakes are cruel, vicious, attractive

• Affective: snakes make them feel anxious,

happy

• Behavior: They like to handle snakes

Attitude Functions

Katz & Smith

• Object-appraisal: ability of attitudes to summarize the

positive and negative attributes of objects in our social

world

• Social-adjustment: attitudes that help us to identify with

people whom we like and to dissociate from people whom

we dislike.

• Externalization: is fulfilled by attitudes that defend the

self against internal conflict.

Gregory Herek (1986, 2000)

• Evaluative functions: which pertain to the

ability of attitudes to summarize information

about the attitude object itself

• Expressive functions: which are fulfilled upon

the expression of an attitude

Influence & Persuasion

Ethos

Ethos

Pathos

Pathos

Logos

Persuasion v/s Influence

• Both involves deliberate changes in behavior and

attitude

• Persuasion: when you deliberately try to change

another person’s behavior through words, action

etc.

• Influence: when you change another person’s

behavior and attitude based on your character

Persuasion

Influence

Influence or Persuasion

Influence or Persuasion

Persuader Persuadee

Without Using Force No Coercion

FREE CHOICE

Persuasion Implies

• Notion of success is embedded

• Intention of achieving a goal

• Some measure of freedom on persuadee’s part

• Use of communication and not coercion

• Change of mental state

Definition of Persuasion

• Persuasion inherently has attitude change as

its goal (Beisecker & Parson)

• A modification in one’s attitude that is the

consequence of exposure to a communication

(Levy, Collins & Nail)

What is Persuasion?

• A successful intentional effort at influencing

another’s mental state through communication

in a circumstance in which the persuadee has

some measure of freedom.

• Any message that is intended to shape,

reinforce, or change the responses of another or

others.

Shaping

Reinforcing

Changing

Response shaping process

Response Implies persuasive outcomes

• Perception

• Emotion

• Belief

• Intentions

• Behaviors

Working of Response Shaping Process Indian Context

“No toilet, No Bride”

Changing Mind Sets

Messages must Culture Specific

Persuasion Strategies (Cialdini)

• Liking

• Reciprocity

• Social proof

• Commitment & Consistency

• Authority

Influence Strategies (French & Raven)

• Coercive power

• Reward power

• Legitimate power

• Reference power

• Expert power

• Informational power

Compliance Strategies

• PROMISE: “If you ( ), then I will reward you.”

• THREAT: “If you do not ( ), then I will punish you.”

• EXPERTISE (Positive way): “If you ( ), then you will have

better chances in the future.”

• EXPERTISE (Negative way) Words: “If you do not ( ), then

you will be punished, and not have better chance in the

future.”

Compliance Strategies

• NEGATIVE STIMULATION: Keep telling the receiver that he must agree, and you

will keep telling him until he does.

• DEBT: Remind the receiver of the past favors you have done; then, establish the

idea that he owes you.

• MORAL: Emphasize to the receiver that it is the right thing to do, so he

comply/agree.

• GOOD FEELING: Tell the receiver he will feel good about himself if he

complies/agrees.

• BAD FEELING: Tell the receiver he will feel bad about himself if he does not

comply/agree.

Compliance Strategies

• ALTERCASTING (Positive): A person with good qualities would

comply/agree.

• ALTERCASTING (Negative): Only a person with bad qualities would not

comply/agree.

• ALTRUISM [helping others]:“I need your help very badly with ( ), so please

do it for me.”

• ESTEEM (Positive): “Everyone will think very highly of you if you ( ).”

• ESTEEM (Negative) Words: “Everyone will think very badly about you if

you do not ( ).”