Wednesday, March 7, 2012

3/7: Attitudes

Attitude Formation
  • Attitudes formed by
    • Cognitive appraisal 
    • Observational learning
    • Self-Perception
      • conscious
      • behavior in situation = attitude
    • Physical Movement
      • certain types can induce negative attitudes and others can induce positive
      • unconscious process, unaware that it's influencing attitude
  • Self-Perception Theory - we infer our internal states from our behavior
    • presume behavior is consistent with attitude
    • reflect behavior in situation to be mirror image of attitude
    • self-perception processes necessary when stimulus is too ambiguous 
  • Physical Movement
    • Strack's pen experiment
      • lip condition(frown) = 4.3 hand condition(neutral) = 4.7 teeth condition(smile) = 5.1 
      • act in a certain way and it can carry over into attitude
    • Wells and Petty (1980) earphone experiment
      • up and down bob head condition emulated agreement and rated earphones more positively
      • agreeing mood leads to more positive outlook
    • Cacioppo (1993) meaningless word/symbol  experiment
      • subjects pressing up rated more favorably
      • push toward us what we like
  • Embodied Condition - brain and body are deeply intertwined; reciprocal influence
    • Thinking evokes bodily states (1)
      • brain's thoughts orders body to move
    • Bodily states influence thinking (2)
      • movement adjusts thought behavior
  • Genes---Basic Traits------Attitudes
    • genes influence basic traits that play a role in determining attitude
Attitudes as Predictors of Behavior

  • LaPiere (1934)
    • experiment: traveled with Chinese couple during time of prejudice against Asians.  only refuse service once out of 250 hotels/restaurants;wrote letter to each place to ascertain consistency with encountered behavior
    • results: good consistency 92% No
      • Wicker came up with personality coefficient as true result
  • WHEN are attitudes predictors of behavior?
    • Absence of Situational Constraints
    • Same Level of Specificity (behavior and attitude) 
    • When Attitude is Potent
    • Attitude is formed through Direct Experience
    • Attitude is assessed Shortly Before Behavior
    • For Low Self- Monitors

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