Summary
Highlights
This chapter will discuss the link between behavior and attitudes, starting with a definition of attitudes and how they are measured. Key concepts introduced here will be revisited throughout the course.
Attitudes are evaluations of a person, object, idea, or issue. They consist of three components: Affective (emotional reactions), Behavioral (past and intended actions), and Cognitive (thoughts and beliefs). These components can align positively or negatively, or lead to mixed attitudes (ambivalence).
Attitudes can be positive, negative, mixed, or indicate indifference. Indifference implies a lack of formed attitude, while ambivalence means holding both positive and negative reactions simultaneously. Attitudes are also value-expressive, reflecting one's identity and beliefs, and can serve a symbolic function, fostering connection with like-minded individuals.
Explicit measures assume awareness of attitudes and rely on self-report. Examples include Likert scales (agreement/disagreement with statements) and Semantic Differential scales (evaluating an object across various dimensions). Challenges include attitude complexity and social desirability bias.
Implicit measures assess unconscious behavioral dimensions of attitudes. Electromyographs can measure subtle facial muscle activity indicative of agreement or disagreement. The Implicit Association Test (IAT) measures response speed to associate concepts, revealing implicit biases, often in controversial areas like race. The speaker demonstrates the IAT and discusses its validity and criticisms.
Attitudes can be formed through basic learning processes. Classical conditioning involves associating a neutral stimulus with an emotional response (e.g., meatballs and pleasurable feelings from grandma). Operant conditioning involves reinforcement or punishment shaping attitudes towards a person or activity.
This model predicts specific behaviors by combining attitudes toward the behavior, subjective norms (social pressure), and perceived behavioral control (belief in one's ability to perform the action). When these factors align, the intention to perform a behavior is high, leading to stronger prediction of actual behavior.
Behavior can also shape attitudes. Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Study (1972) is a famous, controversial example: students randomly assigned as prisoners or guards quickly adopted their roles, leading to extreme and unethical behaviors. The study highlights how role-playing and environmental context can create new norms of behavior, influencing attitudes without conscious intent. The speaker draws parallels to the Abu Ghraib prison scandal.