Attitudes
What are attitudes? How are they formed, measured and changed? What degree of influence do they exert on behavior? What important effects does prejudice have on attitudes, and how is prejudice caused? These are all questions that are central to the study of social psychology and, by reviewing the findings of psychological research into these areas, this essay will attempt to provide a balanced explanation of the topic.
The fundamental question of what attitudes are cannot be answered easily, as many psychologists offer differing definitions. These range from simply describing them as likes and dislikes, to the definition provided by Tiffin and McCormick, in Attitude and Motivation(1971), where they summarize attitudes as being, "a frame of reference that influences the individual's views or opinions on various topics and situations, and influences their behavior." It is widely accepted, however, that attitudes include both beliefs and values. Beliefs,......
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Approximate Word Count: 728
Approximate Pages: 3 (260 words per double-spaced page) |