Attitude Formation

1. Attitude Formation Lesson 20-1

2. Objectives • Trace the origin of attitudes • Describe the function of attitudes

3. Attitude • Attitude-the predisposition to act, think, and feel in particular ways towards a class of people, objects or an idea. • 3 elements • A belief or opinion about something • Feelings about that thing • Tendency to act in certain ways

4. Where Attitudes Come From • Conditioning • Classical conditioning can help you form attitudes automatically • We acquire attitudes through operant conditioning • Praise, approval, or acceptance for expressing certain attitudes or punished for expressing others.

5. Where Attitudes Come From • Cognitive Evaluation • Can develop an attitude without even thinking about it because a friend thinks it’s a good idea • Use a heuristic- a mental shortcut • On other issues, we may disagree with a friend and choose to think about the issue

6. Where Attitudes Come From? • Culture • Influences our taste in food and many other issues • Parents • Parental influence wanes as children get older • Peers • People tend to adopt the likes and dislikes of groups whose approval and acceptance they seek.

7. Where Attitudes Come From • Exposure • The more frequently people encounter an object or idea, the more favorably they evaluate it.

8. Functions of Attitudes • Self-Defining Mechanism • Self-concept- how we see our describe ourselves • Cognitive Guideline and Guide for Action • Attitudes most strongly predict behavior when acquired through direct experience.

9. Activity • Generate a list of 10 statements about social issues, such as political affiliation, nuclear energy, mandatory retirement, equal pay, paternity leave • Have a 5 point scale where participants can agree or disagree • Complete questionnaire and then give to parents

10. Activity • Create identity boxes