How to Be a Puppet Master

X

Persuasion

SocialInfluence

Effort to change attitudes through various kinds of messages

Attempts to change behavior (and maybe attitudes)

Outcomes of Influence Attempts

Commitment Compliance Resistance

Attitudes

Chapters 7 and 8

Why Study Attitudes?

Attitudes are important because they: strongly influence our social thought

– help to organize and evaluate stimuli (e.g., categorizing stimuli as positive or negative)

presumably have a strong affect on behavior– help to predict people’s behavior in wide range of

contexts (e.g., voting, interpersonal relations)

The Basics of Attitudes

Attitude - evaluation of an object in a positive or negative fashion that includes the 3 elements of affect, cognitions, and behavior

1. The 3 Components of Attitudesaffect, cognition, and behavior

2. Measuring Attitudeslikert scale - used to assess people’s attitudes that includes a set of possible answers and that has anchors on each extreme

Attitude Structure

Aff

ect

BehaviorC

ognition

Gun Control

Affect: “Guns make me sick!”

Behavior: “I vote for gun controlwhenever possible.”

Cognition: “Guns in the house increase the likelihood of childrenaccidentally shooting themselves.”

Attitude Formation

social learning- acquire attitudes from others– classical conditioning- learning based on

associationsubliminal conditioning- without awareness

– instrumental conditioning- learn to hold the “right” views

– observational learning- learning by observing actions of others and exposure to mass media

Attitude Formation (con’t)

social comparison- compare ourselves to others to determine if our view of reality is correct– attitudes are shaped by social information from

others we like or respect

genetic factors- inherited general dispositions (e.g., see world in a positive or negative light)– highly heritable attitudes and gut-level preferences

(music) are especially influenced

Summary

Attitudes are evaluations of any aspect of our social world

Attitudes are often learned Attitudes are also formed through social

comparison New research suggests attitudes are

influenced by genetic factors

The Functions of Attitudes

1. The Utilitarian Function of Attitudesserves to alert us to rewarding objects and situations we should approach, and costly or punishing objects or situations we should avoid

2. The Ego-Defensive Function of Attitudesenables us to maintain cherished beliefs about ourselves by protecting us from awareness of our negative attributes and impulses or from facts that contradict our cherished beliefs

The Functions of Attitudes

Terror Management Theory - says that to ward off the anxiety we feel when contemplating our own demise, we cling to cultural worldviews and conventional values out of a belief that by doing so, part of us will survive death

3. The Value-Expressive Function of Attitudes

4. The Knowledge Function of Attitudes

Attitude-Behavior Link

Attitudes do not always predict behavior– LaPiere (1934) found that virtually all businesses

served Chinese couple courteously, yet most owners held negative attitudes

– Sun-worshippers know the dangers of exposure to the sun, yet they tan anyway“looking good” attitude takes precedence over

attitudes toward personal health

Forward

LaPiere Study

100%

8%

99%

9%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

Restaurants Hotels, Motels

Did Serve Would Serve

Would you serve Chinese people?

Back

Moderators of A-B Link

Aspects of the situation– situational constraints (e.g., sparing one’s feelings)

may prevent us from expressing our true attitudes– often we choose situations where we can engage in

behaviors consistent with our attitudes

Aspects of attitudes – origins- how attitudes were formed– strength- intensity, importance, accessibility– specificity- general vs. specific

How Do Attitudes Influence Behavior?

Theory of planned behavior (considered)– intentions are a function of attitudes toward

behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control

Attitude-to behavior process model (impulsive)– attitudes spontaneously shape our behavior of

situation Prototype/willingness model (risky)

– behavior is a function of attitudes toward behavior, subjective norms, behavior intentions, willingness to engage in specific form of behavior, and prototypes

Theory of Planned Behavior

Attitudes

SubjectiveNorms

PerceivedBehavioral

Control

BehavioralIntentions

Behavior

Back

Attitude to Behavior Process Model

Event Attitude

Perception ofEvent

SocialNorms

Behavior

Back

Prototype/Willingness Model

PreviousBehavior

Attitude

BehavioralIntentions

BehavioralWillingness

SubjectiveNorms

Prototype

Behavior

Summary

Several factors moderate the link between attitudes and behaviors.

Situational constraints may prevent us from expressing our attitudes.

We often engage in activities that allow us to express our attitudes.

Attitude formation, attitude strength, and attitude specificity also moderate the A-B link.

Attitudes influence behavior through several mechanisms.