Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behavior

Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behavior

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Beliefs, attitudes, and values

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Cognitive structure

Attitude-behavior consistency
Historical research s Criticisms
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Methodological s Theoretical
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Explanations for inconsistency

Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behavior

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Beliefs, attitudes, and values

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Cognitive structure

Attitude-behavior consistency
Historical research s Criticisms
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Methodological s Theoretical
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Explanations for inconsistency

What is a belief?
The perception of a relationship between two objects or something and a characteristic of it s Bananas are yellow s Physical activity is boring s Lawyers are dishonest s Bob loves Jane
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Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behavior

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Beliefs, attitudes, and values

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Cognitive structure

Attitude-behavior consistency
Historical research s Criticisms
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Methodological s Theoretical
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Explanations for inconsistency

The relationship of beliefs to attitudes

Beliefs are translated into attitudes through values s BELIEF: Lawyers overcharge their clients s VALUE: Fairness s ATTITUDE: I dont like lawyers
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Cognitive structure
Beliefs: Lawyers overcharge their clients Fairness

Values:

Attitude:

I dont like lawyers

Cognitive structure
Beliefs: Lawyers overcharge their clients Fairness Lawyers help their clients lie Honesty

Values:

Attitude:

I dont like lawyers

Cognitive structure
Beliefs: Lawyers overcharge their clients Fairness Lawyers help their clients lie Honesty Lawyers help rich people Equality

Values:

Attitude:

I dont like lawyers

Cognitive structure
Beliefs: Lawyers overcharge their clients Fairness Lawyers help their clients lie Honesty Lawyers help everybody Equality

Values:

Attitude:

I dont like lawyers

Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behavior

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Beliefs, attitudes, and values

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Cognitive structure

Attitude-behavior consistency
Historical research s Criticisms
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Methodological s Theoretical
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Explanations for inconsistency

Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behavior

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Beliefs, attitudes, and values

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Cognitive structure

Attitude-behavior consistency
Historical research s Criticisms
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Methodological s Theoretical
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Explanations for inconsistency

Classic studies in attitudebehavior consistency

LaPiere s Kutner s Wicker (1969)--review of attitudebehavior studies
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Average correlation [r] = .30 s % of variance in behavior explained = 9% (r2)

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Attitude-behavior correlation: Freq 5 Cheating on exams

4 Behavior 3 2 Never 1 3 Attitude 4 5 Strongly Agree

1 2 Strongly Disagree

Attitude-behavior correlation: Freq 5 Cheating on exams

4 Behavior 3 2 Never 1 3 Attitude 4 5 Strongly Agree

1 2 Strongly Disagree

Attitude-behavior correlation: Freq 5 Cheating on exams

4 Behavior 3 2 Never 1 3 Attitude 4 5 Strongly Agree

1 2 Strongly Disagree

Attitude-behavior correlation: Freq 5 Cheating on exams

4 Behavior 3 2 Never 1 3 Attitude 4 5 Strongly Agree r = 1.0

1 2 Strongly Disagree

Attitude-behavior correlation: Freq 5 Cheating on exams

4 Behavior 3 2 Never 1 3 Attitude 4 5 Strongly Agree

1 2 Strongly Disagree

Attitude-behavior correlation: Freq 5 Cheating on exams

4 Behavior 3 2 Never 1 3 Attitude 4 5 Strongly Agree r=0

1 2 Strongly Disagree

Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behavior

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Beliefs, attitudes, and values

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Cognitive structure

Attitude-behavior consistency
Historical research s Criticisms
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Methodological s Theoretical
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Explanations for inconsistency

Criticisms of classic research

Methodological s Not necessarily measured the same person s Two measures of behavior (no measure of attitude) s Used only single measures (low reliability) s Theoretical
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Ignoring social norms

Weigel & Neuman (1976)

Measured attitudes toward environment (20 item scale) s Also measured six environmentally related behaviors, e.g.,
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Signing a petition against off shore oil drilling s Leaving newspapers out for recycling weekly over a period of 8 weeks
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Weigel & Neuman results

Each behavior by itself correlated about .29 with the attitude scale s All the behaviors added together (a behavior scale) correlated .68 with the attitude scale
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Weigel & Neuman

Attitude1 Attitude2 Attitude3 Attitude4 Attitude5 Behavior1 Behavior2 Behavior3 Behavior4 Behavior5

Weigel & Neuman

Attitude1 Attitude2 Attitude3 Attitude4 Attitude5 r = .30 Behavior1 Behavior2 Behavior3 Behavior4 Behavior5

Weigel & Neuman

Attitude1 Attitude2 Attitude3 Attitude4 Attitude5 r = .30 Behavior1 Behavior2 Behavior3 Behavior4 Behavior5

Weigel & Neuman

Attitude1 Attitude2 Attitude3 Attitude4 Attitude5 r = .30 Behavior1 Behavior2 Behavior3 Behavior4 Behavior5

Weigel & Neuman

Attitude1 Attitude2 Attitude3 Attitude4 Attitude5 r = .70 Behavior1 Behavior2 Behavior3 Behavior4 Behavior5

Weigel & Neuman results

Each behavior by itself correlated about .29 with the attitude scale s All the behaviors added together (a behavior scale) correlated .68 with the attitude scale s CONCLUSION: High attitude-behavior consistency when both measured reliably and situational pressures not overwhelming attitudes
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Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behavior

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Beliefs, attitudes, and values

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Cognitive structure

Attitude-behavior consistency
Historical research s Criticisms
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Methodological s Theoretical
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Explanations for inconsistency

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Classical conditioning

Classical conditioning of emotional responses

US

Classical conditioning of emotional responses

unconditioned stimulus US

Classical conditioning of emotional responses

unconditioned response US UR

Classical conditioning of emotional responses

US UR

CS conditioned stimulus

Classical conditioning of emotional responses

US UR CR conditioned response CS

Classical conditioning of emotional responses

US UR CR

CS

Classical conditioning of emotional responses

meat powder US UR CR

CS

Classical conditioning of emotional responses

meat powder US salivating UR CR

CS

Classical conditioning of emotional responses

meat powder US salivating UR CR

CS bell

Classical conditioning of emotional responses

meat powder US salivating UR CR salivating CS bell

Classical conditioning of emotional responses

Obscene, vulgar words US UR CR

CS

Classical conditioning of emotional responses

Obscene, vulgar words US Negative emotional reaction UR CR

CS

Classical conditioning of emotional responses

Obscene, vulgar words US Negative emotional reaction UR CR

CS Ethnic group

Classical conditioning of emotional responses

Obscene, vulgar words US Negative emotional reaction UR CR Negative emotional reaction

CS Ethnic group

Instructions
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These statements concern your personal reactions to a number of different situations. No two statements are exactly alike, so consider each statement carefully before answering. If a statement is TRUE or MOSTLY TRUE as applied to you, mark T; if a statement is FALSE or MOSTLY FALSE, mark F.

Self-monitoring (Mark Snyder)

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Concern for social appropriateness

Sensitive to self-presentation of others s Used as guidelines for monitoring own selfpresentation
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Two components of self-monitoring

Interest in social information s Ability to control self-presentation
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Self-monitors interest in social comparison

Subjects given a self-descriptive (T-F) personality test [designed to facilitate selfmonitoring] s Given opportunity to consult majority response sheet s D.V.: Observer noted frequency of looking at sheet and length of time spent looking s High self-monitors: looked more frequently for longer time
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Expression of emotion
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Different groups ability to convey emotion

Students s Actors s Hospitalized mental patients
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Communication of emotion
Subjects conveyed seven different emotions: anger, happiness, sadness, surprise, disgust, fear, guilt s Judges guessed emotions
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Expression of emotion
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Different groups ability to convey emotion

Students mean=14 s Actors s Hospitalized mental patients
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Communication of emotion
Subjects conveyed seven different emotions: anger, happiness, sadness, surprise, disgust, fear, guilt s Judges guessed emotions
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Expression of emotion
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Different groups ability to convey emotion

Students mean=14 s Actors mean=18.4 s Hospitalized mental patients
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Communication of emotion
Subjects conveyed seven different emotions: anger, happiness, sadness, surprise, disgust, fear, guilt s Judges guessed emotions
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Expression of emotion
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Different groups ability to convey emotion

Students mean=14 s Actors mean=18.4 s Hospitalized mental patients mean=10.3
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Communication of emotion
Subjects conveyed seven different emotions: anger, happiness, sadness, surprise, disgust, fear, guilt s Judges guessed emotions
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Expression of emotion
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Different groups ability to convey emotion

Students mean=14 s Actors mean=18.4 s Hospitalized mental patients mean=10.3
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Communication of emotion
Subjects conveyed seven different emotions: anger, happiness, sadness, surprise, disgust, fear, guilt s Judges guessed emotions s High SM conveyed emotions better
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Self-monitoring and attitudebehavior correlations

High self-monitors have lower attitudebehavior correlations s Their behavior is less reflective of their actual attitudes; more in line with what they think is socially appropriate
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