Video: What Are Attitudes
Published on Apr 6, 2013
Attitudes are a determining factor that not only affects behavior, but can shape your beliefs
as well. In this About.com video, learn what attitudes are, and their formation.
as well. In this About.com video, learn what attitudes are, and their formation.
Hi I'm Lauren Zima with About.com and we are here with psychology professor Dr. Alan Strathman to talk about attitudes. Attitudes can effect everything from your views on politics to the route you take to work so Dr. Strathman what is the textbook definition of an attitude?
What Are Attitudes? - An attitude is an enduring and global evaluation of a person, object or issue so really we can have attitudes toward just about anything and fundamentally our attitudes are evaluations. We express our attitudes typically on dimensions such as like or dislike good or bad. Attitudes are enduring we don't think that attitudes change day to day we know they can change at some point but we don't really think we'll be favorable toward something today and unfavorable towards it tomorrow. Attitudes are also global which means they can be based on one, two or three underlying components.
Attitudes can be Based on Beliefs - First attitudes can be based on beliefs. Just information we have about a product so we might hold an attitude toward a car because we believe it gets high gas mileage and has a good repair history.
Attitudes Based on Feelings - Attitudes can also be based on feelings or emotional, that's the second component. A lot of attitudes toward other people are based on these emotional reactions so we may not know very much about a person but have a very strong emotional response to that person.
Attitudes Based on Behavior - And third attitudes can be based on behavior so a lot of attitudes toward social issues are influenced by what behaviors we do. If we decide we don't want to take the time to recycle or we're not concerned about saving gas then we're likely to have a fairly negative attitude toward environmental conservation.
The Formation of Attitudes - Attitudes can be formed directly or indirectly. Direct attitude formation occurs when we have actual experiences with a person or product. Indirect attitude formation occurs when someone tries to change our attitude. Attitudes can be formed or changed typically in one of two ways. Some attitudes are the result of a thoughtful consideration of arguments and reasons. Sometimes we base our attitudes on simple persuasion cue present in the situation. So we might decide we like a product because we like the celebrity who is endorsing that product.
Classical Conditioning - Classical Conditioning is another example where attitudes can be changed in very effortless kinds of ways. Many advertisers use classical conditioning to get viewers to associate good feelings with their product. They show a great scene so the viewer begins to associate that product and the ad with the positive feelings in the scene.
Attitudes can Influence Behavior - Our behavior is influenced by many factors, some internal and some external. Our decision to buy a product may be influenced perhaps by the way the product is displayed in the store. Our attitudes are also influenced by internal factors. Our attitudes are typically thought to be the strongest internal predictor of behavior. When faced with a set of options or possibilities one solution is to reflect on our attitudes and use that information as a guide to our behavior.
Thanks so much for watching our video on attitudes with Dr. Strathman and thank you Dr. Strathman. For more videos please check out About.com.
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