ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS

UNIT 14

ATTITUDES

Attitude – any belief that includes an evaluation of some object, person, or event and predisposes us to act in certain way toward that object, person, or event.

Attitudes affect Actions Our attitudes affect our actions – but do you

think our attitudes always affect our actions? … Sometimes our actions can affect our attitudes.

ROLE PLAYING

Role Playing When you adopt a new role, you desire to

follow the social prescriptions of that role. Ex. You get married; you want to be a caring

and supportive spouse Ex. You are asked to play the role of a guard for 1 to 2 weeks so

you play that role.

STANFORD PRISON STUDY (1971) Stanford University, California 2 week simulated prison study right before

college students come back 2 dozen students (paid 15$ day) Purposely chose “well adjusted” middle class

students with no prior background with emotional/psychological disorders. Asked them questions such as drug use.

After they have sample Q. What comes next? Randomly assignment- flip a coin.

STANFORD PRISON STUDY

Uniforms, whistles, billyclub, sunglasses Q.Why?- Orientation telling them they couldn’t physically touch

them but could remove them of their individuality, dehumanize, control them as guards would.

Local Police do a mock arrest, handcuff them in public, fingerprint blindfold and take to the basement of psychology building- where little rooms were converted into cells. Hall closet became solitary confinement.

Psychology Professor became the Superintendent. They used an ex-felon to assist in creating the mock

prison  

STANFORD PRISON STUDY

Results: Had to be stopped after 6 days. Each day the abuses became harsher

Made them eat cold sausages, pushups, solitary confinement, took away their beds 

Prisoners began to have emotional breakdowns. Results: Good people put in situations can commit bad

acts. Most people looked at the guards as being evil, sadistic. Another example is slave owners whipping slaves. Evil act committed by normal everyday person.

This was an experiment conducted in a controlled setting. Q. Can we Generalize to the larger world?

 VIDEO- The Human Experiments  

LESSONS FROM STANFORD PRISON STUDY TO EXPLAIN THE ACTIONS OF SOLDIERS AT ABU-GRAIB

Abu- Ghraib- prison in Iraq where Iraqi prisoners have been allegedly tortured- illegal in war, Sadaam is on trial for several war crimes including torture. Bush administration denied any torture goes on, then photos released showing malnourished prisoners, naked, dogs attacking. The world saw a few of these photos, embarrassing to US. Then we said there have been some abuses. Abuses vs. Torture

 

LESSONS FROM STANFORD PRISON STUDY TO EXPLAIN ABUSES AT ABU GRAIB

. The generals say 99.9% of soldiers behave admirably. “there are a few bad apples everywhere” Q. What does he mean by a few bad apples? Psychologists argue that the lessons from the Stanford Prison Experiment can be used to explain Abu Graib and the abuses at Guantanomo (US prison in Cuba)

ABU GRAIB AND THE STANFORD PRISON STUDY

. A few of the soldiers that were in the photos have been punished, but no higher level officers have. Many believe the conditions were in place for the soldiers to commit these illegal acts, that the military institution allowed it, set the environment for it to take place. Many argue that these soldiers were actually good men placed in a bad situation similar to what we read about the Nazi war criminals.

STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT

Deindividuation – reduce self-consciousness and personal responsibility. Members are made to feel anonymous.

HOW CAN OUR ACTIONS INFLUENCE OUR ATTITUDES?

We can influence our attitudes by altering our actions Ex. If you are prejudice of a certain racial

group. How can you attempt to eliminate your prejudice?

COGNITIVE DISSONANCE THEORY Cognitive Dissonance Theory - Psychological discomfort (dissonance) occurs when our behaviors threaten our beliefs about ourselves. We reduce this dissonance by changing our attitudes.

STUDY ON COGNITIVE DISSONANCE 1. Recall an event in which you caused

mental, emotional and/or physical harm on another person

2. Explain why you did this? 3. Recall a time when someone else inflicted

mental, emotional and/or physical harm to you?

4. Explain why this person did this to you?

REDUCING COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

1.You text and drive, knowing that doing so is dangerous and illegal in some places.

2. Ex. In the 7th grade you and your friends go to a CD store and get the 5 finger discount (steal). You have been raised to believe that stealing is wrong. Dissonance (tension, discomfort, guilt) arises. How do you remove the dissonance?

  

EXAMPLES OF COGNITIVE DISSONANCE THEORY

3. You believe that you are a smart person but you do lousy on a test.

4. You believe that you are a very good athlete but you lose the game.

EXAMPLES OF COGNITIVE DISSONANCE5. A young mother thinks of herself as an honest person and tries to raise her children that way. Yet, she writes notes excusing them from school for illnesses when they are not sick. 6. A student who hates psychology class is

asked by her teacher to encourage a group of students to take psychology next year. She does speak to the other students.

FESTINGER AND CARLSMITH STUDY 1950’s – subjects perform boring tasks (Subjects agreed

that the task that they performed was boring) and then are paid to tell the incoming subject (actually a confederate) that they enjoyed the task.

After lying to the confederate, the subject was asked to reveal his/her real attitude toward the boring task.

Participants who were paid $20 Lied and told the next person it was so much fun!! Still found the task boring will later asked about the task No Dissonance – felt that their payment justified their lies

Participants who were paid $1 Lied and told the next person the task was fun Later when asked… they reported that the task was actually fun

for them. Those paid $1 experience dissonance and changed their

attitudes to match their behaviors (telling others it was fun)

LESSONS FROM THE FESTINGER AND CARLSMITH STUDY

Lawyers defending guilty murderers or corporations that are polluting waters.

Stock Market Traders that cheat people out of hard earned money.

People who work for Corporations that have brought up on ethical violations charges.

Ex. Bank of America (2008 Stock market collapse).

Ex. Transocean (not having oil rigs up to safety regulations).

VIDEO -

Zimbardo and Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance (Dissonant & Justified)

ACTIONS AFFECT ATTITUDES

The Foot-in-the-Door phenomenon (compliance strategy) Small request is made, Small request is

agreed to, larger request is made. You are more likely to agree to the larger

request having agreed to the small task.

EXAMPLES OF FOOT IN THE DOOR

Ex. Salesman asks you to test drive a new car, you agree to drive the car, then salesman ask you to purchase the car

My wife asks me to get her a soda; I agree and on my way to the kitchen. She asks me to make her a sandwich too.

Parent asks you to go turn off the lights in your room, and then she yells down the hall to pick up your dirty clothes while you’re there.

DOOR IN THE FACE…

Door-in-Face phenomenon (compliance strategy)

a large request is made, large request is rejected, more likely to agree with a more reasonable request

Ex. Dad… can I stay out Friday night until 4AM? No way… that’s far too late for you to be out. Then can I stay out until 1 AM?

MERE EXPOSURE EFFECT

Mere exposure effect – the more we are exposed to something the more we will come to like it. Ex. New product that has been advertised on radio

and TV. If you have heard these ads (been exposed) then you are more likely to buy it.

Blind taste tests and research on the effectiveness of advertising proves this. (Miller Brewing vs. Anheiser Busch)

Ex. Candidate that spends more money on campaign much more likely to win

NORMS OF RECIPROCITY

Norms of Reciprocity – if people do something nice for you, you feel obligated to do something nice in return Ex. Someone helps you with homework

you want to help them Ex. Businessmen take their clients (people that

they need) out to dinner or give them tickets to a Panthers game.

Q How might a salesman use this knowledge to help them gain a sale?

PERSUASION

Central Route to Persuasion – present information with strong arguments, facts and logic Ex. – politicians use this approach when

they know their audience has a need for substance and need to show their knowledge. Route is usually used in the presidential debates.

Q. How would a car salesman use this?

PERSUASION

Peripheral route to persuasion – emphasize emotional appeal, focus on positive feelings, and focus on personal traits.

Ex. – Route is used during national convention. Ex MSNBC (most of their audience being Democrats)

and Fox News (most of their audience being Republicans) AND most talk radio (Rush Limbaugh) use this approach to gain viewers and make money.

Q How could a salesman use this approach to persuade you to buy?

CENTRAL AND PERIPHERAL ROUTES

Psychology And Advertising :40 secs.-2:40

Political groups and route to persuasion: Q. More central or peripheral: (JFK, LBJ and politicsof fear, Obamacare

(government takeover, cannot keep your urrent plan or current doctor)…gov’t shutdown…why are groups so opposed to it?

YouTube - Science Of Persuasion