Social Psychology David Myers 11 e Behavior and

Chapter Four Attitude is a leaning toward or against some attitudinal object © 2013

Attitude Favorable or unfavorable evaluative reaction toward something or someone How well do attitudes predict behavior? When does our behavior affect our attitude? Why does our behavior affect our attitudes? Changing ourselves through action. ABCs of attitudes: (know them!) Affect (feelings) Behavior…tendency Cognition (belief - thinking) © 2013 Mc. Graw-Hill Companies 3

How Well Do Our Attitudes Predict Our Behavior? People’s expressed attitudes hardly predicted their varying behaviors Student attitudes toward cheating bore little relation to the likelihood of their cheating Attitudes toward the church were only modestly linked with worship attendance on any given Sunday Self-described racial attitudes provided little clue to behaviors in actual situations Ps told to assign a task (pos or neg) to themselves or partner…engaged in “moral hypocrisy”. “appearing moral while avoiding the costs of being so” How so? (Batson et al. , ‘ 97) Other examples? © 2013 Mc. Graw-Hill Companies 4

How Well Do Our Attitudes Predict Our Behavior? When Attitudes Predict Behavior When social influences on what we say are minimal Implicit association test (IAT) (Greenwald, ’ 02) Caution! - reliability and validity may be questionable (Arkes & Tetlock, ‘ 04) Implicit biases are pervasive People differ in implicit bias People are often unaware of their implicit biases Explicit © 2013 Mc. Graw-Hill Companies 5

How Well Do Our Attitudes Predict Our Behavior? When Attitudes Predict Behavior When other influences on behavior are minimal - many situational influences! Think of some that influence your class attendance So look at averaging and aggregating them all. How well do religious attitudes predict religious behaviors? When attitudes specific to the behavior are examined E. g. costs and benefits for jogging Theory of planned behavior (Ajzen & Fishbein) - Behavioral intentions When attitudes are potent Self-awareness use a mirror for each student during the exam? Would this reduce cheating? (Diener & Wallbom, ‘ 76) © 2013 Mc. Graw-Hill Companies 6

When Does Our Behavior Affect Our Attitudes? Behavior -> attitudes We search for and find reasons for explaining behaviors when the reason is not readily apparent Role Playing Role Set of norms that defines how people in a given social position ought to behave Philip Zimbardo’s Stanford’s prison study Abu Ghraib controversy © 2013 Mc. Graw-Hill Companies 7

When Does Our Behavior Affect Our Attitudes? When Saying Becomes Believing When there is no compelling external explanation for one’s words, saying becomes believing Remember self-perception theory? © 2013 Mc. Graw-Hill Companies 8

When Does Our Behavior Affect Our Attitudes? Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon Tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request Perceived ‘free will’ also necessary. Low-ball technique 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 Used by some car dealers © 2013 Mc. Graw-Hill Companies 9

When Does Our Behavior Affect Our Attitudes? Beh-> attitudes Evil and Moral Acts Wartime Actions and attitudes feed on each other When evil behavior occurs we tend to justify it as right Boca Haram in Nigeria? Wilayat Gharb Afriqiya Peacetime Moral action, especially when chosen rather than coerced, affects moral thinking © 2013 Mc. Graw-Hill Companies 10

When Does Our Behavior Affect Our Attitudes? Interracial Behavior and Racial Attitudes Racial behaviors help shape our social consciousness By doing, not saying racial attitudes were changed Legislating morality (supreme court and Coleman report) Why was forced bussing such a failure? (S. Cook) No “perceived choice or equal status” Social Movements Political and social movements may legislate behavior designed to lead to attitude change on a mass scale -should we pledge allegiance to the flag? Sing the national anthem? © 2013 Mc. Graw-Hill Companies 11

Why Does Our Behavior Affect Our Attitudes? Self-Presentation: Impression Management Strategic objective - Assumes that people, especially those who self-monitor their behavior hoping to create good impressions, will adapt their attitude reports to appear consistent with their actions Cognitive Dissonance ( reduce discomfort) beliefs don’t fit…a need for consistency and logic Self-perception theory (when uncertain, we look to our behavior and make selfattributions) Billy Graham revival © 2013 Mc. Graw-Hill Companies 12

Why Does Our Behavior Affect Our Attitudes? Self-Justification: Cognitive Dissonance (L Festinger) Tension that arises when one is simultaneously aware of two inconsistent cognitions To reduce this tension, we adjust our thinking Is smoking dangerous? A revision of attitudes after no weapons were found (2003)? Engage in “selective exposure” what is that? Is it more or less likely to happen in the world of the internet? Insufficient justification Reduction of dissonance by internally justifying one’s behavior when external justification is “insufficient” - which was more interesting? The $1 or $20 dollar payment? © 2013 Mc. Graw-Hill Companies 13

Why Does Our Behavior Affect Our Attitudes? Self-Justification: Cognitive Dissonance after decisions Deciding-becomes-believing effect (J. Brehm) -”choice influences preference” Value of what we chose is enhanced after we buy it. Do children and monkeys do it too? Can breed overconfidence © 2013 Mc. Graw-Hill Companies 14

Why Does Our Behavior Affect Our Attitudes? - a simpler theory - Self-Perception Theory (D. Bem, ‘ 72) 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 Expressions and attitude Over- justification (Festinger & Carlsmith) and Intrinsic motivations (Deci & Ryan) Can being paid for work undermine intrinsic motivation? Do we undermine intrinsic interest in education by giving grades? And testing? © 2013 Mc. Graw-Hill Companies 15

Why Does Our Behavior Affect Our Attitudes? Comparing the Theories Self-Perception Theory (explains attitude formation) Dissonance Theory (explains attitude change) Dissonance as Arousal “self-affirming” reduces threats to our integrity Self-Perceiving when Not Self-Contradicting Changing Ourselves Through Action © 2013 Mc. Graw-Hill Companies 16