Attitudes and Positive Psychological States

1. ATTITUDES
AND
POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL
STATES

2. ATTITUDE: NATURE &
CHARACTERISTICS
ATTITUDE IS A COMPLEX COGNITIVE PROCESS
IT IS AN EVALUATIVE STATEMENT – EITHER
FAVOURABLE OR UNFAVOURABLE – ABOUT SOMETHING
FOUR CHARACTERISTICS
1. RELATIVELY STABLE UNLESS SOMETHING DONE TO
CHANGE
2. EVALUATIVE IN NATURE: FAVOURABLE TO
UNFAVOURABLE
3. DIRECTED TOWARD OBJECTS OF FEELINGS
4. MUTUALLY REINFORCING RELATIONS WITH
BEHAVIOUR

3. IMPORTANCE OF ATTITUDE
 A MAJOR CAUSE OF EMPLOYEE AND MANAGERIAL
WORK BEHAVIOUR
 POSITIVE ATTITUDES FREQUENTLY LEAD TO
PRODUCTIVE EFFORTS, WHEREAS NEGATIVE ONES
LEAD TO POOR WORK HABITS
 UNDERSTANDING OF EMPLOYEES ATTITUDES HELP
TO TAKE ACTIONS TO CHANGE UNFAVOURABLE
WORK ATTITUDES AND DEVELOP POSITIVE ONES

4. DIMENSIONS (ABC MODEL)
• COGNITIVE: THOUGHTS/OPINION OR BELIEFS
ABOUT SOMETHING (FRIENDSHIP WITH SOMEONE
WILL HELP RELEASE STRESS)
• AFFECTIVE: THE FEELINGS OR EMOTION ABOUT
SOMETHING (I AM INTERESTED TO FIND A FRIEND
WHO WILL LISTEN TO ME)
• BEHAVIOURAL: TENDENCY TO ACT IN A
PARTICULAR WAY TOWARDS SOMETHING (I SPEND
AN HOUR EVERY EVENING TAKING TO MY FRIEND)
THESE COMPONENTS ARE CLOSELY RELATED

5. FORMATION OF ATTITUDES
BELIEFS ARE THE BASIS OF ATTITUDE
WE ACQUIRE BELIEFS IN THREE WAYS
1. THROUGH DIRECT OBSERVATION
2. BY ACCEPTANCE OF INFORMATION FROM
SOME SOURCE
3. BY INFERRING NEW BELIEFS FROM WHAT
WE ALREADY KNOW

6. CHANGING ATTITUDES
BARRIERS TO CHANGING ATTITUDES
 PRIOR COMMITMENTS
 INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION
APPROACHES TO CHANGING WORKPLACE
ATTITUDES
 PROVIDING NEW INFORMATION
 USE OF MODERATE DEGREE OF FEAR
 RESOLVING DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN BEHAVIOUR AND
ATTITUDE: COGNITIVE DISSONANCE THEORY
 INFLUENCE OF FRIEND OR PEERS

7. COGNITIVE DISSONANCE
THEORY
• EXPLAINS THE LINKAGE BETWEEN ATTITUDES AND
BEHAVIOR.
• DISSONANCE MEANS CONFLICT.
• COGNITIVE DISSONANCE REFERS TO ANY
INCOMPATIBILITY THAT AN INDIVIDUAL MIGHT
PERCEIVE BETWEEN TWO OR MORE OF HIS/HER
ATTITUDES, OR BETWEEN HIS/HER BEHAVIOR AND
ATTITUDES.
• THEORY REFERS THAT AT ANY FORM OF
INCONSISTENCY IS UNCOMFORTABLE AND THAT
INDIVIDUAL WILL ATTEMPT TO REDUCE (MINIMIZE)

8. REMOVING DISSONANCE
TWO WAYS TO REDUCE DISSONANCE:
1. CHANGE ATTITUDE TO ALIGN WITH BEHAVIOUR
a) REDUCE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DISSONANT BELIEFS
(REMOVE THE NEGATIVE EFFECT).
b) ADD CONSONANT BELIEFS THAT OUTWEIGH THE DISSONANT
BELIEFS (LOOK FOR POSITIVE EFFECTS).
2. CHANGE BEHAVIOUR TO ALIGN WITH ATTITUDE

9. ORGANISATIONAL COMMITMENT
(OC)
ORGANISATIONAL COMMITMENT
 A STRONG DESIRE TO REMAIN A MEMBER OF A
PARTICULAR ORGANISATION
 A WILLINGNESS TO EXERT HIGH LEVELS OF EFFORT
ON BEHALF OF THE ORGANISATION
 A DEFINITE BELIEF IN, AND ACCEPTANCE OF, THE
VALUES AND GOALS OF THE ORGANISATION
DETERMINED BY:
 PERSONAL VARIABLES: AGE, TENURE, ETC
 ORGANISATIONAL VARIABLES: JOB DESIGN AND
LEADERSHIP STYLE

10. OC MODEL
THREE COMPONENT MODEL
• AFFECTIVE COMMITMENT (EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT TO,
IDENTIFICATION WITH, AND INVOLVEMENT IN THE
ORGANISATION)
• CONTINUANCE COMMITMENT (BASED ON THE COSTS
ASSOCIATED WITH LEAVING THE ORGANISATION)
• NORMATIVE COMMITMENT (FEELING OF OBLIGATION TO
STAY WITH THE ORGANISATION)
OUTCOMES OF ORGANISATIONAL COMMITMENT
• SOMEWHAT BETTER PREDICTOR OF TURNOVER,
ABSENTEEISM AND PERFORMANCE

11. ORGANISATIONAL CITIZENSHIP
BEHAVIOURS
(OCB)
 DISCRETIONARY AND VOLUNTARY EMPLOYEE
ACTIONS THAT GO BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY,
NOT NECESSARILY RECOGNISED BY THE
ORGANISATION'S FORMAL REWARD SYSTEM
 MAY TAKE MANY FORMS; MAJOR ONES:
ALTRUISM, CONSCIENTIOUSNESS, CIVIC VIRTUE,
SPORTSMANSHIP, AND COURTESY
 PERCEPTION OF ORGANISATIONAL JUSTICE/ FAIR
TREATMENT MORE LIKELY TO GO BEYOND THE
FORMAL JOB REQUIREMENTS AND RECIPROCATE
WITH OCBS

12. OPTIMISM
 ABILITY TO LOOK AT THE BRIGHTER
SIDE OF LIFE AND TO MAINTAIN A
POSITIVE ATTITUDE EVEN IN THE FACE
OF ADVERSITY.
 OPTIMISM ASSUMES A MEASURE A
HOPE IN ONE’S APPROACH TO LIFE.

13. OPTIMISM: INDIVIDUAL
DIFFERENCE
PEOPLE HAVE VARYING DEGREES OF OPTIMISM
 PESSIMISTS MAKE FOLLOWING ATTRIBUTIONS
 INTERNAL (THEIR OWN FAULT)
 STABLE (WILL LAST A LONG TIME), AND
 GLOBAL (WILL UNDERMINE EVERYTHING THEY
DO)
 OPTIMISTS MAKE FOLLOWING ATTRIBUTIONS:
 EXTERNAL (NOT THEIR FAULT),
 UNSTABLE (TEMPORARY SETBACK), AND
 SPECIFIC (PROBLEM ONLY IN THE SITUATION)

14. SUBJECTIVE WELL BEING (SWB)
AFFECTIVE (MOOD AND EMOTION) AND COGNITIVE
EVALUATIONS OF LIFE
 EMOTIONAL INTERPRETATION AND COGNITIVE
PROCESSING OF WHAT HAPPENS
COMPONENTS
 LIFE SATISFACTION
 SATISFACTION WITH IMPORTANT DOMAINS (E.G. WORK,
FAMILY)
 POSITIVE AFFECT (THE EXPERIENCE OF MANY PLEASANT
EMOTIONS)
 LOW LEVELS OF NEGATIVE AFFECT (THE EXPERIENCE OF
FEW UNPLEASANT EMOTIONS)

15. WELL BEING RESEARCH
• ARE ORGANIZATIONS REALLY CAPABLE OF
PROMOTING EMPLOYEE WELLBEING?
• AUSTRALIAN NURSE DID CONDUCT RESEARCH
AMONG DYING PATIENTS & FOUND SOME
ESSENTIAL REGRETS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE
STUDY: THREE OF THEM LISTED:
1. I DID NOT SPEND ENOUGH TIME WITH PEOPLE I
LOVED
2. I DID NOT DO WORK THAT I REALLY ENJOYED

16. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE (EI)
CAPACITY FOR UNDERSTANDING AND
MANAGING ONE’S OWN AND OTHERS’ EMOTIONS
DIMENSIONS
 SELF AWARENESS
 SELF MANAGEMENT
 SELF MOTIVATION
 EMPATHY
 SOCIAL SKILLS

17. SELF EFFICACY
 PERSONAL JUDGEMENT OR BELIEF OF HOW WELL
ONE CAN EXECUTE COURSES OF ACTION REQUIRED
TO DEAL WITH PROSPECTIVE SITUATIONS
 A CONVICTION IN OWN ABILITIES TO MOBILISE THE
MOTIVATION, COGNITIVE RESOURCES, AND
COURSES OF ACTION NECESSARY TO SUCCESSFULLY
EXECUTE A SPECIFIC TASKS WITHIN A GIVEN
CONTEXT
TYPES OF SELF EFFICACY:
SPECIFIC SELF EFFICACY : SITUATION- SPECIFIC THAT
CAN BE DEVELOPED THROUGH A PROCESS OF
LEARNING
GENERALISED SELF-EFFICACY: BELIEF THAT ONE CAN
SUCCEED IN A VARIETY OF SITUATIONS