Attitude

Prepared by
Dolon Champa Das
Assistant Professor
Department of Applied Science & Humanities
Attitude
A tendency to feel and behave
in a particular way towards
objects, people or event.

An attitude is a stable and

enduring disposition to
evaluate an object or entity.
Characteristics of Attitude
The attitudes of an individual generally
remain unchanged for a prolonged period of
time unless he is influenced by external
forces.

Attitudes are evaluative statements that can

be either favorable or unfavorable.

Attitudes refer to feelings and beliefs held by

an individual towards an object (or event or
person).
Components of Attitude

Attitude consists of three (3) components

Cognitive or Informational
Affective or Emotional
Behavioral
Importance of attitude
Attitude serve as one way to organize our
relationship with our world. They make our
interactions more predictable, affording us a
degree of control.

Attitudes also enable us to reduce the vast

amount of information that we possess into
manageable units. All beliefs we have about
our company could be summarized as “I like
my company” and thus our attitude
represents the combination of many bits of
information for us.
Importance of attitude
We can use others attitudes to make
judgments about them.

It has been found consistently that more

similar our attitudes are to those of others,
the more we like them.

Finally, people’s attitudes can sometimes be

useful in predicting behavior, such as how
they will vote in an election or which brand of
car they will buy.
Theories of Attitude Change
Cognitive -Dissonance Theory

Message Learning Approach

Cognitive- Dissonance Theory

The term cognitive dissonance is used to

describe the mental discomfort that results
from holding two conflicting beliefs, values,
or attitudes. People tend to seek consistency
in their attitudes and perceptions, so this
conflict causes feelings of unease or
discomfort.

This inconsistency between what people

believe and how they behave motivates
people to engage in actions that will help
minimize feelings of discomfort. People
attempt to relieve this tension in different
Signals or Signs
Everyone experiences cognitive dissonance to
some degree, but that doesn't mean that it is
always easy to recognize. Some signs that
what you are feeling might be related to
dissonance include:

Feeling uncomfortable before doing

something or making a decision

Trying to justify or rationalize a decision that

you've made or an action you have taken
Signs & Signals
Feeling embarrassed or ashamed about
something you've done and trying to hide
your actions from other people

Experiencing guilt or regret about something

you've done in the past

Doing things because of social pressure or

a fear of missing out (FOMO), even if it
wasn't something you wanted to do
Causes
There are a number of different situations
that can create conflicts that lead to cognitive
dissonance.

Forced Compliance

New Information

Decisions
Forced Compliance
Sometimes you might find yourself engaging in
behaviors that are opposed to your own beliefs due
to external expectations, often for work, school, or
a social situation. This might involve going along
with something due to peer pressure or doing
something at work to avoid getting fired.

Eg:
A Corporate Manager- Mrs. Smith believes that no
company should pollute the air or water.
Unfortunately, because of the requirement of the
job she is placed in a position of having to make
decisions that would trade off her company’s
profitability against her attitudes on pollution.
New Information

Sometimes learning new information can lead

to feelings of cognitive dissonance. For
example, if you engage in a behavior that you
later learn is harmful, it can lead to feelings
of discomfort. People sometimes deal with
this either by finding ways to justify their
behaviors or findings ways to discredit or
ignore new information.
Decisions
People make decisions, both large and small,
on a daily basis. When faced with two similar
choices, people often are left with feelings of
dissonance because both options are equally
appealing.

Once a choice has been made, however,

people need to find a way to reduce these
feelings of discomfort. People accomplish this
by justifying why their choice was the best
option so that they can believe that they made
the right decision.
Factors
 The degree of dissonance people experience can depend on a
few different factors, including how highly they value a
particular belief and the degree to which their beliefs are
inconsistent.

 The overall strength of the dissonance can also be influenced

by several factors, including:
 The importance attached to each belief. Cognitions that are
more personal, such as beliefs about the self, and highly valued
tend to result in greater dissonance.
 The number of dissonant beliefs. The more dissonant
(clashing) thoughts you have the greater the strength of the
dissonance.

 Cognitive dissonance can often have a powerful influence on

our behaviors and actions. It doesn't just influence how you feel
—it also motivates you to take action to reduce feelings of
discomfort.
Impact
Cognitive dissonance can make people feel
uneasy and uncomfortable, particularly if the
disparity between their beliefs and behaviors
involves something that is central to their
sense of self.

For example, behaving in ways that are not

aligned with your personal values may result
in intense feelings of discomfort. Your
behavior contradicts not just the beliefs you
have about the world, but also the beliefs that
you have about yourself.
Impact
This discomfort can manifest itself in a variety of
ways. People may feel:
Anxiety
Embarrassment
Regret
Sadness
Shame
Stress

Cognitive dissonance can even influence how

people feel about and view themselves, leading
to negative feelings of self-esteem and self-worth.
Impact
Because people want to avoid this discomfort,
cognitive dissonance can have a wide range of
effects. Dissonance can play a role in how people
act, think, and make decisions. They may engage
in behaviors or adopt attitudes to help relieve the
discomfort caused by the conflict.

Some things that a person might do to cope with

these feelings include:

Adopting beliefs or ideas to help justify or

explain away the conflict between their beliefs or
behaviors. This can sometimes involve blaming
other people or outside factors.
Impact
Hiding their beliefs or behaviors from other people.
People may feel ashamed of their conflicting beliefs and
behaviors, so hiding the disparity from others can help
minimize feelings of shame and guilt.

Only seeking out information that confirms their

existing beliefs. This phenomenon, known as
the confirmation bias, affects the ability to think
critically about a situation but helps minimize feelings
of dissonance.

People like to believe that they are logical, consistent,

and good at making decisions. Cognitive dissonance
can interfere with the perceptions people hold about
themselves and their abilities, which is why it can often
feel so uncomfortable and unpleasant.
Message Learning Attitude
It was first proposed by U.S psychologist Carl
I. Hovland (1912- 1961).

Message Learning Approach implies that a

change in attitude can be likened to a
message learning process, in that
an attitude can be changed but only if the
message stimulating this change is clear.

There are five steps to this process-

exposure, attention, comprehension, yielding
and retention, all of which are important for
overall success.
Message Learning Approach
In education, the message
learning approach implies that the
successfulness of learning a new piece of
information will depend entirely on the
persuasive language involved.

Persuasion is complex and conditional.

Depends on source, message and audience

characteristics and these only have an effect
if the following conditions are met: exposure,
attention, interest, comprehension and
acquisition.
Characteristics of Message-Learning
Approach
Characteristics of the source of communication eg.
Credibility, trust, attractiveness

Characteristics of the message eg. Visual images, 1-

sided vs 2 sided messages or arguments

Characteristics of the audience eg what the audience is

thinking

Implications of Message- Learning Approach to

Persuasion

Problems with the Message- Learning Approach to

persuasion
What is etiquette?

Etiquette, the complex network of

rules that govern good behavior and
our social and business interactions,
is always evolving and changing as
society changes. It reflects our
cultural norms, generally accepted
ethical codes, and the rules of
various groups we belong to.
Importance of Etiquette
Etiquette provides personal
security. Knowing how to behave appropriately
in a given situation makes you more comfortable.

It protects the feelings of others. Proper

etiquette requires that you make others
comfortable and protect their feelings. You do
not point out their errors or draw attention to
their mistakes.

It makes communication clearer. Etiquette

enhances communication by breaking down
barriers, not erecting them.
Importance of Etiquette
 It will enhance your status at work. In
any working situation, you are perceived as
more capable, more professional, and more
intelligent if you are familiar with the proper
code of conduct for the workplace.

 It makes good first impressions. The first

five to seven seconds after you meet someone
are crucial. Your first impression lingers in
the other person's mind long after you are
gone. If you use proper etiquette, that first
impression will be a positive one.
Relevant Questions
1. What do you mean by ‘Attitude’? Why are
attitudes important?

2. Describe with the help of some important

theories how attitudes are formed.

Why is etiquette needed in workplace?