Understanding Attitudes in Psychology

Front

What is an attitude according to Elliott Aronson?

Back

An enduring evaluation – positive or negative – of people, objects, and ideas.

Front

What are the two important features of attitudes?

Back

1. Attitudes are long lasting. 2. Attitudes involve making judgments.

Front

What is the functional approach to understanding attitudes?

Back

It examines why we have attitudes and how adopting particular attitudes can be helpful to us.

Front

What is the structural approach to understanding attitudes?

Back

It looks at the different factors that make up attitudes.

Front

What are the three main functions of attitudes according to Smith et al (1964)?

Back

1. Adaptive function 2. Knowledge function 3. Ego-defense function.

Front

What does the adaptive function of attitudes involve?

Back

The usefulness of certain attitudes in helping us achieve our goals.

Front

What is the knowledge function of attitudes?

Back

It refers to the fact that having attitudes makes the world simpler and more predictable.

Front

What is the ego-defense function of attitudes?

Back

It concerns adopting attitudes to help protect ourselves from difficult or painful feelings.

Front

What are the three components of the ABC Model of Attitudes?

Back

1. Affective component 2. Behavioral (or conative) component 3. Cognitive component.

Front

What does the affective component of an attitude involve?

Back

A person’s feelings/emotions about the attitude object.