attitude change theory

Attitude Change Theory

Attitude change theory seeks to explain why people change their attitudes and beliefs, as well as how and when these changes occur. To understand attitude change, one must first understand what an attitude is. An attitude is a relatively enduring evaluation of people, objects, or issues. Attitude change, therefore, is any alteration in one’s attitude or beliefs. Attitude change can occur in both directed and non-directed ways.

Directed attitude change occurs when one actively attempts to alter their attitude or beliefs. This is often a conscious action by the individual, who is attempting to evaluate the object or issue more objectively. Non-directed attitude change is less conscious, and is instead the result of exposure to external influences. This form of attitude change is often referred to as persuasion or conformity.

There are several different theories that attempt to explain directed and non-directed attitude change. The first is the Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, which was proposed by Leon Festinger in 1957. This theory states that an individual’s attitude will change when their beliefs and actions contradict one another, creating psychological discomfort (dissonance). To reduce this dissonance, the individual will alter their attitude or beliefs to restore equilibrium.

The Elaboration Likelihood Model was developed by Richard E. Petty and John T. Cacioppo in 1980. This theory of attitude change proposes that attitude change occurs in two different ways: the central route and the peripheral route. In the central route, an individual is exposed to logical, evidence-based information which they then use to evaluate the object or issue. This is often done through careful consideration and contemplation of the facts. In the peripheral route, an individual is instead influenced by superficial peripheral cues, such as the popularity of the idea or the attractiveness of the presenter.

The third theory, the Social Judgment Theory, was developed by Muzafer Sherif, Carl Hovland, and Hadley Cantril. This theory proposes that when people are presented with an object or idea, they will seek to place it in either a favorable or unfavorable category, depending on its distance from their existing attitude. The further away the object is from their existing attitude, the more it will be rejected, and the closer it is, the more it will be accepted.

These are only a few of the theories that attempt to explain why and how attitudes change. Each theory is unique in its perspective and explanations, but they all share a common goal: to understand the psychological mechanisms behind attitude change. By better understanding attitude change, we are also better able to understand the effects of external influences on our behavior.

简介

Attitude change theory is a set of theories to explain how attitudes change. It is used to explain how people learn to accept or reject certain ideas or opinions based on their experiences. Attitude change occurs when a person has experienced something that causes them to form a new attitude toward an object or idea. This change can occur internally or externally, in response to either a direct observation or another individual’s opinion. The theory of attitude change has been studied for many years and several different approaches have been used to study it.

The most well-known theory of attitude change is cognitive dissonance theory. This theory states that when people encounter contradictions between their beliefs, values, and attitudes, they experience an unpleasant state of mental stress known as cognitive dissonance. To reduce this conflict, the individual either changes their attitudes or views, changes the environment, or simply ignores the problem.

Social judgment theory is a second approach to studying attitude change. This theory postulates that attitudes develop in response to a persons perception of how they are judged by a particular group of individuals. Thus, an individual will adjust their beliefs, values and attitudes to reflect more closely the beliefs of the group.

Finally, the third major approach to understanding attitude change is dual-process theory. This theory suggests that attitude change is the result of two processes - one the conscious or deliberate process and the other the automatic or unconscious process. The conscious process involves actively engaging in the attitude object and forming a judgment based on this engagement. Meanwhile, the unconscious process occurs without any awareness or deliberate effort in which the individual will learn from other individuals or from the environment and form an internalized attitude or opinion.