Behavior &

Attachment
Theories of why Behavior affects Attitude
Cognitive dissonance theory
selective exposure
one way people minimize dissonance
the tendency to seek information and media that agree w/ one's views
and to avoid dissonant information
cognitive dissonance
tensions that arises when one is simultaneously aware of two inconsistent cognitions
assumes that to reduce discomfort, we justify our actions to ourselves
we are mostly aware of the discrepancies between our behavior and attitudes; as such,
if we see some consistency, perhaps we feel pressure for change
2003 Iraq war
when they didn't find any weapons, some Americans revised their memories of
their government's primary rationale for going to war
insufficient justification
reduction of dissonance by internally justifying one's behavior
when external justification is "insufficient"
having this for their actions, they would experience more discomfort and
thus be more motivated to believe in what they have done (self-
persuasion)
works w/ punishment
parents should aim to elicit desired behavior non-coercively,
thus motivating children to internalize the appropriate attitudes
dissonance after decisions
after making important decisions, we usually reduce dissonance by
upgrading the chosen alternative and downgrading the unchosen
option
can breed overconfidence in simple decisions
our preference influence decisions, w/c then sharpen our preferences
decisions, once made, grow their own-justifying legs
Self-perception theory
expressions & attitude
facial feedback effect: the tendency of facial expressions to trigger
corresponding feelings such as fear, anger or happiness
other's emotion affecting how you feel
your gait affecting how you feel
postures affect performance
observing others' faces, posture, writing styles, and voices, we naturally and unconsciously mimic
our facial expressions also influence our attitudes
stereotyped actions feed stereotyped thinking
overjustification & intrinsic motivations
people explain their behavior by noting the conditions under w/c it occurs
rewarding people for their actions = can attribute action to reward, thus
undermining their liking for it
overjustification effect: the result of bribing people to do what they already like doing; they
may then see their actions as externally controlled rather than intrinsically appealing
initially unappealing tasks: provide reward then suggest intrinsic reason for doing so
rewards may boost creativity when rightly administered
the theory that when we are unsure of our attitudes, we infer them much as would someone observing us -
by looking at our behavior and the circumstances under which it occurs
assumes that our actions are self-revealing
Self-presentation theory
we see making a good impression as a way to gain social and material rewards, to feel better about ourselves,
even to become more secure in our social identities
for strategic reasons we express attitudes that make us appear consistent
Impression management
Behavior affect Attitude
foot-in-the-door phenomenon the tendency to for people who have first agreed
to a small request to comply later w/ a larger
request
confirmed w/ altruistic behaviors
when people commit themselves to public behaviors
and perceive those acts to be their own doing, they
come to believe more strongly in what they have
done
lowball technique
a tactic for getting people to agree to something
people who agree to an initial request will often still comply
when the requester ups the ante
people who receive only the costly request are less likely to
comply w/ it
lesson: before agreeing to a small request, think about what may follow
doing evil acts
small evil can lower moral sensitivity, making it easier to perform a worse act
we hurt those we dislike
AND dislike those we hurt
during wartime: people tend to dehumanize their enemies and
humanize their pets
during peacetime: slaves having traits that justify their oppression
evil sometimes results from gradually escalating commitments
actions & attitudes feed each other, sometimes to the point of moral numbness
killing begets killing
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saying or confessing
when not bribed or coerced
when there is no compelling explanation for one's
words, saying becomes believing
people tend to adjust their messages to their listeners, and
having so, to believe the altered message
through social movements
a society's laws and its behavior can have a strong influence on its attitudes
danger of political socialization
political rituals
brainwashing
the most potent social indoctrination
happened to American prisons of
war during the 1950s Korean war
once a prisoner had spoken or written a statement ,he felt an inner need to
make his beliefs consistent w/ his acts
through role playing role
a set of norms that defines how people in a given
social position ought to behave
Zimbardo's
simulated prison
study
we are not powerless to resist imposed roles
what is unreal can subtly morph into what is real,
we enact a role that shapes our attitudes
doing moral acts
moral action, especially when chosen rather than coerced, affects moral thinking
more positive behavior fosters liking for the person
US example: desegregation of schools
legislating moral action under the right conditions indirectly affect heartfelt attitudes
Attitudes affect Behavior attitude specific to behavior
theory of planned
behavior
one's attitudes, perceived personal social norms and feelings of control together
determine one's intention, which guide behavior
specific, relevant attitudes predict intended and actual behavior
potent attitudes
by thinking about them
making people self-aware in this way promotes consistency between words and deeds
forging attitudes through experience
when attitudes are forged by experience, they are more accessible,
enduring, and likely to guide actions
when social influences on what
we say are minimal Implicit Association Test
a computer-driven assessment of implicit attitudes
uses reaction times to measure people's automatic
associations between attitude objects and evaluative
words
Amygdala
brain center that activates as we automatically evaluate
social stimuli (implicit reactions)
a center for threat perception
distinct implicit and explicit attitudes confirms dual
processing capacity for both controlled and automatic
thinking
other influences on behavior are minimal
principle of aggregation the effects of an attitude become more apparent when we look at
a person's aggregate or average behavior than when we consider
isolated acts
expressed attitudes hardly predict behavior moral hypocrisy
disjuncture between attitudes and actions
morality and greed colision
the developing picture of what controls behavior
emphasized external social influences and played down
internal factors
Evaluation of the theories
Self-perception: attitude-formation, dissonance: attitude change
Dissonance as arousal
accounts for tensions aroused when actions and attitudes are not in harmony,
unlike self-perception theory
dissonant conditions are indeed uncomfortably arousing, providing that the
behavior has unwanted consequences for w/c the person feels responsible
self-affirmation theory
a theory that:
a) people often experience a self-image threat after engaging in an
undesirable behavior
b) they can compensate by affirming another aspect of the self
threaten people's self-concept in one domain, and they will
compensate either by refocusing or by doing good deeds in
some other domain
even though seemingly contradicting, both theories explain well
ABCs of Attitude
Behavior
Cognition
Affect a favorable or unfavorable evaluative reaction toward
something or someone (often rooted in one's beliefs, and
exhibited in one's feelings and intended behavior)