Psychology & Sociology
The ABC model of attitude proposes that attitudes have three main parts: affective, behavioral, and cognitive components. The functional attitudes theory attempts to explain why people possess attitudes at all, suggesting that attitudes serve four functions: knowledge, adaptation, ego expression, and ego defense. There are three theories on how attitudes form: the elaboration likelihood model, learning theory, and the social cognitive theory. The elaboration likelihood model states that attitude formation depends on information being processed either via the thoughtful central route or the superficial peripheral route. The learning theory posits that attitudes are learned firsthand through positive and negative experiences or hearing positives and negatives about a topic from others. Lastly, the social cognitive theory proposes that attitudes are formed by observing how others behave and respond to something.
Lesson Outline
<ul> <li>Introduction to the theories of attitude and attitude formation</li> <li>ABC model of attitude: <ul> <li>Affective component: emotions and feelings regarding a topic</li> <li>Behavioral component: actions towards a topic</li> <li>Cognitive component: thought process and beliefs about a topic</li> </ul> </li> <li>Functional attitudes theory: <ul> <li>Knowledge function: organizing thoughts and predicting behavior</li> <li>Adaptation function: fitting in with societal norms and building social bonds</li> <li>Ego-expressive function: communicating personal identity through attitudes</li> <li>Ego-defensive function: protecting self-esteem with expressed attitudes</li> </ul> </li> <li>Theories of how attitudes form <ul> <li>Elaboration likelihood model: <ul> <li>Central-route processing: thoughtful, focused evaluation of information (example: carefully weighing pros and cons of political candidates); attitudes formed here tend to be strong and difficult to change</li> <li>Peripheral-route processing: superficial, less focused evaluation of information (example: only considering a candidate's speaking ability); attitudes formed here tend to be easily changed</li> </ul> </li> <li>Learning theory: attitudes formed through direct experience or being taught from others (example: forming a negative attitude towards scotch)</li> <li>Social cognitive theory: attitudes formed by watching others' reactions (example: forming a negative attitude towards scotch after observing someone else's reaction)</li> </ul> </li> </ul>
Don't stop here!
Get access to 51 more Psychology & Sociology lessons & 8 more full MCAT courses with one subscription!
FAQs
The ABC model of attitude consists of three main components: the affective component, which concerns the emotional reactions and feelings towards an object or concept; the behavioral component, which deals with the actions associated with the attitude; and the cognitive component, which encompasses the beliefs, thoughts, and knowledge about the given object or concept.
The functional attitudes theory suggests that attitudes serve different functions for individuals depending on their psychological needs. According to this theory, attitudes may help fulfill needs such as knowledge, social identity, self-expression, and ego defense. By understanding the psychological functions that attitudes serve, researchers can better predict and explain attitude formation, maintenance, and change in various contexts, including medical settings.
The elaboration likelihood model (ELM) is a theory that proposes two main routes through which persuasion can lead to attitude change: the central route and the peripheral route. Central route processing involves careful evaluation and consideration of persuasive arguments, leading to lasting attitude change when strong arguments are presented. Peripheral route processing, on the other hand, involves superficial processing based on cues unrelated to the argument, such as the source's attractiveness or credibility. This route leads to temporary attitude change and is influenced by factors like the individual's motivation and ability to process the information.
Learning theory explains attitude formation through processes such as classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning. According to this perspective, individuals develop attitudes through their experiences and interactions with others in their environment. Social cognitive theory further explains attitude formation by emphasizing the role of cognitive processes, including social learning, self-efficacy, and reciprocal determinism. In this theory, individuals form attitudes based on both personal experiences and observations of others, as well as through cognitive evaluations of the social environment.
Central route processing is characterized by careful evaluation of persuasive arguments, which involves paying attention to the content, quality, and logical consistency of the presented information. This type of processing requires more cognitive effort and leads to lasting attitude change when strong arguments are presented. In contrast, peripheral route processing is based on superficial cues unrelated to the argument, such as the source's attractiveness, credibility, or likability. This type of processing requires less cognitive effort and typically results in temporary attitude change that is more susceptible to later persuasion attempts.
MCAT® is a registered trademark of the Association of American Medical Colleges. The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE®) is a joint program of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB®) and National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME®). NAPLEX® is a registered trademark of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. PANCE© is a registered trademark of the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. NCLEX® is a registered trademark and service mark of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. None of the trademark holders are endorsed by nor affiliated with Sketchy or this website.
