This document discusses attitudes and where they come from. It defines an attitude as a positive, negative, or mixed reaction or feeling toward a person, object, or idea. Attitudes have three components - cognitive, affective, and behavioral. They can be influenced by genes, as shown in twin studies, and formed through social experiences based on affect and behavior. Attitudes are shaped by values, mere exposure, and classical conditioning. People may develop attitudes to express identity, protect self-esteem, obtain rewards or avoid punishment, and understand people and events.

1. PresentationPresentation
Name:Name:
Ahsan RiazAhsan Riaz
Reg:Reg:
Sp13-Bse-123Sp13-Bse-123
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Attitudes & BehaviorAttitudes & Behavior

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What is an Attitude?What is an Attitude?
A positive, negative,A positive, negative,
or mixed reaction to a person,or mixed reaction to a person,
object, or idea, expressed atobject, or idea, expressed at
some level of intensity (e.g.,some level of intensity (e.g.,
love, like, dislike, detest)love, like, dislike, detest)

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Four Possible Reactions toFour Possible Reactions to
Attitude ObjectsAttitude Objects
Cacciopo, et al. 1997

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Components of Attitudes:Components of Attitudes:
Tripartite ViewTripartite View
CognitiveCognitiveCognitiveCognitive
AffectiveAffectiveAffectiveAffective
BehavioralBehavioralBehavioralBehavioral
AttitudeAttitudeAttitudeAttitude

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Components of AttitudesComponents of Attitudes
 COGNITIVECOGNITIVE
beliefs about attitude object (pos & neg)beliefs about attitude object (pos & neg)
 AFFECTIVEAFFECTIVE
emotions and feelings the object triggersemotions and feelings the object triggers
(pos & neg)(pos & neg)
 BEHAVIORALBEHAVIORAL
reaction toward the object (pos & negreaction toward the object (pos & neg
actions)actions)

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Attitude Object:Attitude Object: DENTISTDENTIST
 COGNITIONSCOGNITIONS
 Dentists are friendly.Dentists are friendly.
 Dentists are expensive.Dentists are expensive.
 AFFECTSAFFECTS
 Dentists make me feel anxious.Dentists make me feel anxious.
 I like dentists.I like dentists.
 BEHAVIORSBEHAVIORS
 I visit the dentist twice a year.I visit the dentist twice a year.
 I am a very cooperative patient.I am a very cooperative patient.

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Why People Have AttitudesWhy People Have Attitudes
 Value-Expressive function: Express whoValue-Expressive function: Express who
we arewe are
 Ego-defensive function: Protect Self-Ego-defensive function: Protect Self-
EsteemEsteem
 Instrumental function: Obtain awards,Instrumental function: Obtain awards,
avoid punishmentsavoid punishments
 Knowledge function: understand peopleKnowledge function: understand people
and eventsand events

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The Facial EMGThe Facial EMG
When people hear a message they agree with, there is increase in
depressor and zygomatic muscles and decrease in corrugator and
frontalis muscles.

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Where do attitudesWhere do attitudes
come from?come from?

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 GENESGENES: Twin studies: Twin studies
• high correlations on attitudehigh correlations on attitude
strength and content forstrength and content for
identicals raised together ORidenticals raised together OR
apart!apart!
• significantly lower forsignificantly lower for
fraternalsfraternals

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GeneticGenetic
Influences onInfluences on
AttitudesAttitudes
Olson et al., 2001.

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Origins of Attitudes:Origins of Attitudes:
Social ExperiencesSocial Experiences
 Affectively Based AttitudesAffectively Based Attitudes
based on people’s feelings of an attitudebased on people’s feelings of an attitude
object (not on beliefs)object (not on beliefs)
 Sources of Affectively Based AttitudesSources of Affectively Based Attitudes
valuesvalues
mere exposuremere exposure
classical conditioningclassical conditioning

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Classical ConditioningClassical Conditioning
The case whereby a stimulus that elicitsThe case whereby a stimulus that elicits
an emotional response is repeatedlyan emotional response is repeatedly
experienced along with a neutralexperienced along with a neutral
stimulus that does not, until the neutralstimulus that does not, until the neutral
stimulus takes on the emotionalstimulus takes on the emotional
properties of the first stimulusproperties of the first stimulus

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Where Do Attitudes Come From?Where Do Attitudes Come From?
 GENESGENES
Twin studyTwin study
 SOCIAL EXPERIENCESSOCIAL EXPERIENCES
affectively basedaffectively based
behaviorally basedbehaviorally based

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What are your attitudes aboutWhat are your attitudes about
liberal politicians?liberal politicians?
BehaviorBehavior
““Now that I thinkNow that I think
about it, I only voteabout it, I only vote
for conservatives.”for conservatives.”
BehaviorBehavior
““Now that I thinkNow that I think
about it, I only voteabout it, I only vote
for conservatives.”for conservatives.”
AttitudeAttitude
““I guess I don’tI guess I don’t
like liberallike liberal
politicians.”politicians.”
AttitudeAttitude
““I guess I don’tI guess I don’t
like liberallike liberal
politicians.”politicians.”
Self-Perception TheorySelf-Perception Theory

17. For any query Feel Free to askFor any query Feel Free to ask
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