This document discusses the relationship between attitudes and behaviors. It notes that early studies of this relationship had limitations, such as only measuring one attitude when others were likely relevant, and not sufficiently matching the attitudes measured to the behaviors examined. It then outlines some prerequisites for attitudes to accurately predict behaviors, including the accessibility of the attitude, its relevance to the behavior in question, and the absence of competing attitudes or situational factors that could influence behavior instead.

1. UNIT 6 Attitude- Behavior Consistency

2. Corey (1937) Student Cheating 1. Measured attitudes towards cheating 2. Allowed students to grade their own tests (but . . .) 3. The attitude behavior relationship was . . .

3. Problems with the Early Studies 1. Only one attitude was measured when others were probably related to the behavior. 2. Attitudes measured did not sufficiently match the behaviors examined. (Kutner, Wilkins, and Yarow study)

4. Prerequisites for Attitudes to Predict Behavior

5. Accessibility The extent to which attitudes can be recalled from memory. --The more accessible an attitude is the more likely we can predict behavior by it.

6. Research on Accessibility A. Response Latency Time it takes for an attitude to be recalled. B. Experiment (Fazio, Powell, & Williams; 1989)

7. Relevance of attitude to behavior Accessing someone’s attitude that smoking is bad is different from an academic discussion and their behavior at break.

9. Relevance of attitude to behavior Accessing someone’s attitude that smoking is bad is different from an academic discussion and their behavior at break.

10. Relevance of attitude to behavior The attitude needs to be relevant to the behavior in question.

11. Other Factors

12. Competing Attitudes -- Positive Attitude towards getting good grades -- It will depend upon your attitude towards cheating that will determine whether you will cheat to get good grades.

14. How the Attitude Formed 1. Directly (stronger) 2. Vicariously

15. ACTIVITY Looking back at the notes from the last three units, list three (of each) conditions under which our attitudes are most and least likely to influence our behavior.