Chapter 4 Flashcards

Psychology 271 with Alley at University of New Mexico

About this deck

By: Berta Leddon
Textbook:

Mastering Social Psychology
Created: 2010-09-18
Size: 52 flashcards
Views: 48

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Attitude

evaluation of various aspects of the social world

Attitudes: Properties of

Ambivalent attitudes susceptible to change
They influence thoughts
Often (not always) affect behavior, esp. when strong, well established, and accessible.
Are a basic aspect of social cognition
Knowing them can help us predict behavior
Probably learned

Social learning

the process through which we acquire new information, forms of behavior, or attitudes from other people

Classical Conditioning

a basic form of learning in which one stimulus, initially neutral, acquires the capacity to evoke reactions through repeated pairing with another stimulus. In a sense, one stimulus becomes a signal for the presentation or occurrence of the other.

Classical Conditioning

Subliminal conditioning

classical conditioning of attitudes by exposure to stimuli that are below individuals' threshold of conscious awareness

Social norms

expectations about how people will or should behave in a particular context

Instrumental conditioning

a basic form of learning in which responses that lead to positive outcomes or that permit avoidance of negative outcomes are strengthened.

Assessing reported attitudes

One way of assessing whether people's reported attitudes vary depending on the expected audience reaction is to alter the audience that is expected to receive the message.

Observational learning

a basic form of learning in which individuals acquire new forms of behavior as a result of observing others

Third person effect

effect that occurs when the impact of media exposure on others' attitudes and behaviors is overestimated and the impact on self is underestimated.

Social comparison

the process through which we compare ourselves to others in order to determine whether our views of social reality are correct.

Social comparison: properties of

People often change their attitudes to hold views closer to those of people they value and with whom identify. Attitudes are shaped as a result of social information, coupled with our desire to be similar to people we like.

Mere exposure

by having seen an object previously, but not necessarily remembering having done so, attitudes toward an object can become more positive.

Knowledge function

attitudes aid in the interpretation of new stimuli and enable rapid responding to attitude-relevant information

Identity (or self-expression) function

attitudes can permit the expression of central values and beliefs and thereby communicate who we are

Self esteem function

function in which holding particular attitudes can help maintain or enhance feelings of self-worth

Ego defensive function

protecting ourselves from unwanted or unflattering views of ourselves by claiming particular attitudes

Impression motivation function

using attitudes to lead others to have a positive view of us. When motivated to do so, the attitudes we express can shift in order to create the desired impression on others

Pluralistic ignorance

when we collectively misunderstand what attitudes others hold, and believe erroneously that others have different attitudes than ourselves

Strength of attitudes

Strength captures the extremity or intensity of an attitude, as well as the extent to which the attitude is based on personal experience

Attitude accessibility

the ease with which specific attitudes can be remembered and brought into consciousness.

Attitude extremity

Extremity is the extent to which an individual feels strongly about an issue.

Attitude extremity: properties of

One key is vested interest - the extent the attitude is relevant, which is whether the object/issue might have important consequences for the person holding the attitude.

Greater interest, stronger impact

People's behavior usually supports the attitude

Role of personal experience

Depending on how attitudes are formed initially, the link between attitudes and behavior can differ

Attitudes formed on the basis of direct experience can exert stronger effects on behavior than ones formed indirectly.

Theory of reasoned action

Suggests that the decision in doing particular behavior is the result of a rational process. Options are considered, consequences are evaluated, & a decision is reached. It's reflected in behavioral intentions which influence overt behavior

Theory of planned behavior

an extension of the theory of reasoned action, suggesting that in addition to attitudes toward a given behavior and subjective norms about it, individuals also consider their ability to perform the behavior.

Behavioral intentions

Decisions show in behavioral intentions, which can predict how we act in a situation. Intentions are determined by attitudes toward behavior & subjective norms (if others will approve).

Perceived behavioral control

People's appraisals of their ability to perform the behavior also affect intentions.

Attitude-to-behavior process model

a model of how attitudes guide behavior that emphasizes the influence of attitudes and stored knowledge of what is appropriate in a given situation on an individual's definition of the present situation. This in turn influences overt behavior.

The influence of attitudes on spontaneous behavior

In cases where reactions are spontantious, attitudes influence behavior more directly and more autumatically, with intentions playing a less important role.

Persuasion

efforts to change others' attitudes through the sue of various kinds of messages

Persuasion: effective communicators

Communicators who seem more credible & members of groups we identify with have more influence on attitudes. Attractive communicators, people who speak rapidly, & people who exhibit greater confidence are most persuasive

Persuasion: audiences

People are sometimes more susceptible to persuasion when distracted
If audiences have contrary attitudes, it's more effective to have a two-sided approach
Young people (18-25) are more susceptible to persuasion

Systematic processing

processing of information in a persuasive message that involves careful consideration of message content and ideas

Central route to persuasion

attitude change resulting from systematic processing of information presented in persuasive messages. Both systematic processing and the central root to persuasion involve careful consideration of message content and the ideas it contains

Heuristic processing

processing of information in a persuasive message that involves the use of simple rules of thumb or mental shortcuts

Peripheral route to persuasion

attitude change that occurs in response to peripheral persuasion cues, often based on information concerning the expertise or status of would-be persuaders

Elaboration-likelihood model

a theory suggesting that persuasion can occur in either of two distinct ways - systematic vs. heuristic processing, which differ in the amount of cognitive effort of elaboration they require

Systematic processing: properties of

We engage in systematic processing when our motivation & capacity to process the information is high. This occurs when we have a lot of knowledge about the topic, time to engage in careful thought, or the issue important to us.

Heuristic processing, properties of

We engage in heuristic processing when we lack the ability or capacity to process more carefully (like when we must make up our minds quickly or have little knowledge about the issue) or when our motivation is low.

Reactance

a negative reaction to efforts by others to reduce our freedom by getting us to do what they want us to believe or do what they want.

Negative attitude change

Negative attitude change - we often change our attitudes & behavior in the opposite direction of what we are being urged to do. When we perceive appeals as threats to freedom or the image of being independent, we are motivated to resist

Forewarning

advance knowledge that one is about to become the target of an attempt at persuasion. Forewarning often increases resistance to the persuasion that follows.

Forewarning, properties of

Forewarning influences several cognitive processes. It gives us with opportunity to create counterarguments that can lessen the message's impact, it provides us with more time to recall relevant facts and information useful in refuting persuasion

Selective avoidance

a tendency to direct attention away from information that challenges existing attitudes. Such avoidance increases resistance to persuasion.

Cognitive dissonance

an internal state that results when individuals notice inconsistency among two or more attitudes or between their attitudes and their behavior

Direct methods of dissonance reduction

1. We can either change our attitudes or behavior so they are more consistent 2. We can reduce cognitive dissonance by acquiring new information that supports our attitude or behavior. 3. We can decide that the inconsistency doesn't matter

Spreading of alternatives

when individuals make a decision between two options, they tend to reduce the rating of the item they did not choose and increase the rating of the item they did choose.

Induced or forced compliance

situations in which individuals are somehow induced to say or do things inconsistent with their true attitudes

Less-leads-to-more effect

offering individuals small rewards for engaging in counterattitudinal behavior often produces more dissonance, and so MORE attitude change, than offering large rewards. Surprisingly, dissonance is stronger when we have few reasons for these behaviors

Hypocrisy

the public advocating of some attitudes or behaviors and then acting in a way that is inconsistent with these attitudes or behaviors

About this deck

By: Berta Leddon
Textbook:

Mastering Social Psychology
Created: 2010-09-18
Size: 52 flashcards
Views: 48

About StudyBlue

“I have been getting MUCH better grades on all my tests for school. Flash cards, notes, and quizzes are great on here. Thanks!”
Kathy