Behaviour + Attitude

Behaviour + Attitude

1. When Does Attitude Predict Behaviour

   • Most models emphasize external social influences guiding behaviour and minimize internal factors
   • Social Influences are Minimal
     • Minimize effect of social influence by measuring explicit attitude v. implicit attitude
     • IAT Test
       • Compassion/guilt vs. Hostility relative bias for one group does not indicate positive bias/negative for another
       • Implicit Biases pervasive
         • 80% negative bias towards elderly
       • People differ in implicit Bias
         • Implicit bias varies among social groups  1. Group membership 2. Conscious attitude 3. immediate environment
       • Unaware of Implicit Bias
       • Amygdala
         • Implicit automatic response -Threat perception
   • Other Influence Minimal
     • Principle of Aggregation
   • Attitude Specific To Behaviour Examined
     • specific + relevant attitudes predict intended + actual behaviour
     • Theory of Planned Behaviour
       • Intended behaviour + self efficacy+control new intention --> new behaviour
   • Attitudes Potent
     • Bringing Attitude to Mind
       • Attitudes become potent if they are reflected upon
     • Experience
       • More enduring, more acessible, likely to guide actions

2. When Does Behaviour Affect our Attitude

   • Infer attitude from behaviour
   • Role Playing
     • role = set of norms that define how people should behave in a social situation.  social position defined by set of prescribed norms
     • Gender Roles
       • Gender is the product of socialization In social situations adapt self presentation to fit norm 
     • Zimbardo
       • Even fake norms can develop into real ones
   • Saying=Believing
     • when there is no compelling external explanation, saying becomes believing 
   • Foot In the Door Phenonemon
     • First agree with small request, follow through with larger request (MOMENTUM OF COMPLIANCE)
     • Low Ball Technique
       • Agree to initial request, comply when a more imposing request is made
   • Evil Acts
     • amoral acts arise form escalating commitments Dislike those we hurt (happens when coaxed --> more responsibility for attitude) moral disengagement
     • Moral Acts
       • internalize conscientous acts if enough freedom is given for choice and enough deterrent to elicit behaviour
   • Social Movements
     • Small commitments can cause individuals to feel discepancy between beahviour and belief --> make belief consistent with acts

3. Why does Behaviour Affect Attitude

   • Self Presentation
     • Express attitude consistent with actions (feigning consistency sometimes)  Internalize self presentation as attitude change
   • Self Justification
     • Motivation to maintain consistency in cognition (thoughts)
     • Cognitive Dissonance
       • Two simultaneously accesible thoughts are psychologically inconsistent  --> reduce unpleasant feeling --> adjust thinking Dissonance= aroused state of uncomfortable tension(break in behaviour + attitude)
       • Insufficent Justification
         • Lack of justification --> experience more discomfort (believe what they had done)  Reduction of dissonance by internally justifying behaviour
         • Some choice when action have forseeable consequence
           • Attitude follow behaviour which we feel some responsibility for (unlikely to internalized enforced behaviour)
       • Dissonance after Decisions
         • Secondary Evaluation of Choices
           • Upgrade chosen alternaive, downgrade unchosen (justify out choices to us) deciding = believing
       • Culture
         • Feeling of dissonance spread across many cultures
         • Individualist
           • Justify choices made for self
         • Collectivist
           • Justify choices made for close friends (experience dissonance when collectivist self-concept is threatened)
       • Minimizing Dissonance
         • Selective exposure to agreeable information less values relevant = accuracy motivation
     • Self Perception
       • Unsure of attitude (weak/ambiguous)--> infer them as an observer (behaviour in context of circumstance)
       • Expressions + Attitude
         • Mimicry of emotional cognition --> feel closer to others
         • Emotional Contagion
       • Overjustification
         • Excessive motivation for something one enjoys= actions are viewed less as intrinsically appealing --> externally controlled
         • Intrinsic Motivation
           • "I do this because I enjoy this"
         • Extrinsic Motivation
           • "I do this because I have to"
     • Dissonance as Arousal
       • People attribute arousal to own action before self-justifying attitude change
       • Self Affirmation Theory
         • In response to self image threat after undesirable behaviour, compensate by affirming another aspect of self (alter attitude)
         • Secure self concept
           • Less need to justify acts Do not engage in self-justification as often
         • Insecure self concept
           • more likely to engage in self-justification
     • Self Percieving
       • Dissonance theory explains when we act contrary to clearly defined attitude self-perception: attitude formation