Download Attitude Formation - Freeman Public Schools

Attitude Formation
Lesson 20-1
Objectives
• Trace the origin of attitudes
• Describe the function of attitudes
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
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.
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
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.
Where Attitudes Come From
• Exposure
– The more frequently people encounter an object
or idea, the more favorably they evaluate it.
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.
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
Activity
• Create identity boxes