Attitudes and Attitude Theories

Importance of attitudes

Carl Hovland, founder of the Yale Attitude Research Program, initiated the scientific study of attitudes in the 1940s attitudes! occu"ied the center stage in "ersuasion research for over #0 years transformed social studies! into social sciences! via attitude scales $ interval level data amena%le to statistical analysis $ agree&&& &&& &&& &&& &&& &&& &&& disagree

Definition of attitude

a "redis"osition to res"ond favora%ly or unfavora%ly to'ard some attitude o%(ect! )*ish%ein + A(,en, 19-#.
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learned, not innate "recursors of %ehavior )"recede, "redict %ehavior. evaluative dimension direction of attitude )"lus or minus. degree or intensity of attitude directed to'ard an attitude o%(ect!

Attitudes and persuasion

/ocial scientists see0 a shortcut,! %y relying on attitudes to "redict %ehavior

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attitude

%ehavior

Persuaders see0 to alter attitudes, there%y %ringing a%out a corres"onding change in %ehavior
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old attitude

ne' attitude

ne' %ehavior

Ho' 'ell attitudes correlate 'ith %ehavior is 0no'n as the A12! relationshi" )or A2C attitude1%ehavior1 correlation.

Moderating variables in the A-B relationship

attitude salience or centrality s"ecificity of the attitude)s. and %ehavior)s. social desira%ility %ias self1monitoring activation of relevant attitudes multi"le1act criteria )versus one1shot measures.

Likerts e ual appearing interval scales!

"atients suffering from terminal illnesses should have a constitutional right to assisted suicide#
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strongly agree

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moderately agree

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slightly agree

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neutral disagree

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slightly disagree

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moderately disagree

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strongly

continuum of choices ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree! may consist of #, -, 9, or 11 "oints am%iguity of neutral! "oint )dont 0no', undecided. variations of 3i0ert scales

$emantic Differential scales

%ased u"on connotative meanings series of %i"olar ad(ectives )o""osites. ad(ective "airs se"arated %y s"aces res"ondent chec0s semantic s"ace! corres"onding 'ith his7her attitude dimensions5 evaluation, "otency, activity s"eciali,ed semantic differential scales e6am"le5 8cCros0eys 9thos scale
/arah Palin 4ualified &&&5&&&5&&&5&&&5&&&5&&&5&&& un4ualified "oised &&&5&&&5&&&5&&&5&&&5&&&5&&& nervous e6"ert &&&5&&&5&&&5&&&5&&&5&&&5&&& ine6"ert trust'orthy &&&5&&&5&&&5&&&5&&&5&&&5&&& untrust'orthy timid &&&5&&&5&&&5&&&5&&&5&&&5&&& %old

%isuall& oriented scales

o"inion thermometer facial e6"ressions steering 'heel "ointer advantages of visually oriented attitude measures

"roblems 'ith attitude scales

"ro%lem of non1 attitudes social desira%ility %ias ac4uiescence %ias issue of mindfulness!

attitudes as associative net'orks

often unconscious, im"licit s"ider 'e% analogy $ changes in one cognitive element rever%erate throughout the individuals %elief system

()ample of an associative net'ork

contraception school prayer sex education abortion

family values premarital sex divorce

family leave

marital fidelity

child support dead-beat dads

*reating associations

advertising cam"aigns :rive ; love 2eer and good times sloganeering $ 2rea0fast of cham"ions! )<heaties. $ 2e all that you can %e! )=>/> Army. $ ?he ultimate driving machine! )28<.

+ood advertising and associations

*oods are often advertised as5

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"romoting good health su%stitutes for love vicarious se6 guilty "leasures treatment for stress, an6iety

Yo"lait5 *ood as a guilty "leasure5 @Aoo, this is :ay At ?he /"a Bood@ @Co, this is *oot 8assage Bood@

Hersheys5 food as stress management

,a&s of creating associations

Advertising cam"aigns
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8c:onalds goes ur%an 'ith the Dm lovin it! cam"aign /"rite associates itself 'ith hi"1ho" ur%an youth /tadiums, s"orting events Philanthro"ic giving Phili" 8orris social res"onsi%ility! cam"aigns

/"onsorshi"
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Cele%rity endorsers

More 'a&s of creating associations

A""ro"riating sym%ols
$ $

e6treme! lifestyle ?aco 2ell s"onsors the E1Bames ur%an, hi" ho" culture Ree%o0 0ee"s it real! to ra0e in the %ling %ling! alternative culture Pe"si and i?unes identify 'ith music do'nloaders "re1o'ned! versus used! car F*C transformed itself into Fitchen *resh Chic0en! Contests, mail1ins, "ri,es, events

Renaming
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Dnvolvement and "artici"ation

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Modif&ing associations- from McDonalds to Micke& Ds

After losing over GH00 million in H00H, 8c:onaldIs traded in their old @<e love to see you smile@ slogan for the ne', hi", Dm lovin it! cam"aign the ne' cam"aign uses a hi" ho" theme to target older, ur%an youths >
3in0 to Dm 3ovin Dt! commercial5 htt"577 video>google>com7video"layKdocid ;1--L440HL0ML#-N#191M+4;mcdonaldOH-s+hl;en

Aging icon Ronald gets (iggy! 'ith hi" ho" stars

Justin ?im%erla0e is one of 8ic0ey :s ne' s"o0es"ersons

Image-based advertising
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@Dn the factory 'e ma0e cosmeticsP in the drugstore 'e sell ho"e>@ Charles Revson @An image > > > is not sim"ly a trademar0, a design, a slogan or an easily remem%ered "icture> Dt is a studiously crafted "ersonality "rofile of an individual, institution, cor"oration, "roduct or service>@ Daniel Boorstin "You now have to decide what 'image' you want for your brand. Image means personality. roducts! li"e people! have personalities! and they can ma"e or brea" them in the mar"et place." David #gilvy

Image-based advertising at 'ork

A consumer admires a "articular image or lifestyle ?he "roduct is "aired 'ith, or associated 'ith, the image or lifestyle Dn time the consumer comes to e4uate the "roduct 'ith image or lifestyle

Music downloading

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teen consumer

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Pepsi

Image-oriented advertising

?he "oint of image1oriented advertising is to lin0 "roducts 'ith ideali,ed associations, images, and lifestyles> /chudson )19M4. advertising does not claim to "icture reality as it is %ut reality as it should %e11life and lives 'orth imitating )"> H1#.>@

Are California co's really ha""yK <hat a%out the co's raised in cram"ed, dreary feedlotsK Df good cheese comes from ha""y co's, then does %ad cheese come from %ored, confined co'sK

Image-oriented car commercials

Advertising associations and 'omens bodies

Qictorias /ecret Coors 3ight ?'ins Paris Hilton and Carls Jr>

:oves Real 2eauty! cam"aign :oes :ove really care a%out 'omens %ody imagesK Ar is this a clever %randing strategy to sell more "roductK

consistenc& theories
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Peo"le e6"ect, "refer consistency

Cognitive consistency is a state of %alance, harmony, among ones cognitions Dndividuals strive to maintain, "reserve harmony among their %eliefs, attitudes, %ehaviors :issonance! is an uncomforta%le mental state> 8ay even %e accom"anied %y "hysiological sym"toms :rive1reduction! model /ocial motivations, e>g>, saving face

Dnconsistency causes "sychological discomfort, tension

Dndividuals are motivated to restore cognitive consistency

illustration of consistenc& in action

favorable attitude

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perceived incompatibilit&

"arenting and consistenc& theor&

A child admires Po"eye ?he child doesnt li0e to eat s"inach Po"eye is "ositively associated 'ith /"inach ?his is a cognitively im%alanced state, 'hich should motivate the child to change one of the associations

consistent versus inconsistent ps&chological states

%alanced )consistent. "sychological states

+ + -

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imbalanced (inconsistent) psychological states

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+ -

marketing consistenc&- have &our cake and eat it too/

9nvironmentally res"onsi%le, socially conscious "roducts $ Hy%rid cars $ :ol"hin free tuna $ 2en + Jerrys ice cream $ Yo"lait and %reast cancer research $ Breen! mutual funds healthy la%els $ light, fat1free, car% free, lo' sodium, all natural, high fi%er, lo' cholesterol

Marketing inconsistenc&

Countering %rand loyalty

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?hin0 outside the %un! )?aco 2ell. ?hin0 different! )8acintosh. Carls GN>00 %urger 'ithout the restaurant

Countering tradition Cot your fathers Aldsmo%ile! 2uyers remorse

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Ca"ital Ane5 <hats in your 'alletK! Hotels> com

The ke& to persuasion

Ada"t
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your message to your audience

successful "ersuasion isnt so much a matter of shifting receivers attitudes over to your "osition, as it is a matter of ada"ting your message to the attitudes already held %y receivers>