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Explore the dynamics of attitudes in social psychology, examining formation, expression, and change. Delve into cognitive dissonance and brainwashing, with real-world examples like the Jonestown cult. Gain insight on prejudice, discrimination, and aggression theories in human interactions.
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Social Psychology Ch. 19 Attitudes, Culture, and Human Relations McElhaney
Project: • Create a typed, 35 item test. • Include 15 matching, 15 fill in the blank, and 5 multiple choice items based on the reading handout chapter 18 or 19. (to be assigned) • All work must be original and must include answer key with page number. • Or you may create a podcast (*video) for one item related to this unit on Social Psychology
Attitudes • Connected to actions • Connected to views of the world • Tastes, friendships and goals • “Are a mixture between belief and emotions that predispose a person to respond to others in a positive or negative way.” • Can be predicted
Attitudes are expressed in 3 ways • Belief about an object or issue • Emotion=feelings • Actions
Attitude Formation • Direct Contact: • Interaction with others: • Child Rearing: • Group Membership: • Mass Media: • Chance conditioning:
There is a contrast between public behavior and private attitudes. • Factor of Immediate Consequence • Some attitudes are acted on some not
LaPiere- Study- “Not Practicing What you Preach” Correlations between attitudes and behavior: • Strength of attitude- the strength of the attitude increases or decreases behavior. • Stability of attitude: change overtime • Stable attitudes are more predictable than one that changes • Relevance of attitude to the behavior: • Attitudes will predict behavior much better if the attitude measured related as exactly as possible to the behavior of interest • Salience of the attitude • Attitude is conspicuous, important, and readily accessible from memory • More Salience = more likely attitude will predict behavior. • Situational Pressure: • External pressure is so great-internal attitudes will have little effect on behavior • Behavior is more influenced by external factors than internal attitudes • LaPiere Study-found that strong situational pressure will override strength of attitude.
Attitude Change • Reference Group- is any group a person uses as standard for social comparison “who do you identify with?” When people change a Reference group they also change attitudes. • Attitudes can be changed through role play-must include strong emotional experience
Cognitive Dissonance Theory • Cognition= Thoughts • Dissonance= clashing • Contradicting and clashing thoughts cause discomfort • We have a need for consistency in thoughts perceptions and images. • We tend to reject new information that contradicts ideas we already hold.
Cognitive Dissonance 2 • When we make a bad decision • We tend to convince ourselves that we’ve done the right thing- • Also a tendency to excuse in light of contradicting evidence… • We tend to emphasize the positive aspects • We try to minimize dissonance • By justifying our bad choice
Brain Washing • = Psychological manipulation • Forced Attitude change • Requires captive audience • Is temporary • Pge. 703 lists the requirements:
How To: Brain Washing 2 • Target person is isolated form main reference group • Target is made completely dependent on captors for needs • Indoctrinating agent- is in a position to reward target for changes in attitude or behavior • Make target completely helpless • Physical and psych abuse • Sleep deprivation • Humiliation • Isolation • Target looses and or unfreezes formal values • Exhaustion, pressure, fear becomes unbearable • Change occurs when target abandon’s all beliefs • Target cooperates to gain relief • Pairing hope and fear with pressure to conform • Refreezes new attitudes
Jonestown Cult 1978 • Jim Jones’ People’s Temple • Jones was charismatic, persuasive leader • Followers were Isolated, Intimidated, Obedient, committed and dependent
Cults • Leader is infallible • Followers do not question • Strategy- guilt manipulation, isolation, deception, fear, and escalating commitment • High pressure • 2.5 million people in cults
Who Joins Cults?: Profile • Distressed • Mild depression, indecission • Alienation from family and friends • Need as sense of belonging
Conversion strategies: • Intense Affection- Understanding • Isolate from people who are not cult members- family and friends • (former reference group) • Isolate from former values • Use drills, discipline, rituals • Wears people down physical and emotional resistance is reduced • Discourages critical thinking • Generates feelings of commitment • Gets small commitment at first then encourages larger commitments