Week 8 Notes
Attitudes and Attitude Changes -
Components of attitudes -
Attitudes = relatively stable evaluation of person, objects, situation, issue.
Cognitive component = thoughts and beliefs about attitudinal object.
Emotional component = feelings toward attitudinal object.
Behavioural component = predisposition to act toward attitudinal object.
Cognitive dissonance -
Incompatibility between our beliefs and our actions or attitudes.
Unpleasant state.
Reduce dissonance by changing behaviour or attitude, explaining away inconsistency,
reducing its important.
Persuasion -
Persuasion = influence attitudes, behaviour of another person.
Part of work, social, family life.
Elements in persuasion are:
Source of communication
Audience
Message
Medium
Prejudice and Discrimination -
Based on gender, religion, race, membership in particular group.
Prejudice = negative attitudes, beliefs, emotions that can escalate into hatred.
Discrimination = negative behaviour toward others.
Realistic conflict theory = as competition increases, so do prejudice, discrimination,
hatred among competing groups.
In-group conflict = social group, strong sense of togetherness, others excluded.
Out-group conflict = social group identified by in-group as not belonging.
Social learning theory -
We learn attitude of prejudice and hatred.
Attitudes and Attitude Changes -
Components of attitudes -
Attitudes = relatively stable evaluation of person, objects, situation, issue.
Cognitive component = thoughts and beliefs about attitudinal object.
Emotional component = feelings toward attitudinal object.
Behavioural component = predisposition to act toward attitudinal object.
Cognitive dissonance -
Incompatibility between our beliefs and our actions or attitudes.
Unpleasant state.
Reduce dissonance by changing behaviour or attitude, explaining away inconsistency,
reducing its important.
Persuasion -
Persuasion = influence attitudes, behaviour of another person.
Part of work, social, family life.
Elements in persuasion are:
Source of communication
Audience
Message
Medium
Prejudice and Discrimination -
Based on gender, religion, race, membership in particular group.
Prejudice = negative attitudes, beliefs, emotions that can escalate into hatred.
Discrimination = negative behaviour toward others.
Realistic conflict theory = as competition increases, so do prejudice, discrimination,
hatred among competing groups.
In-group conflict = social group, strong sense of togetherness, others excluded.
Out-group conflict = social group identified by in-group as not belonging.
Social learning theory -
We learn attitude of prejudice and hatred.
