Attitudes

Favorable or unfavorable evaluative action

Attitude Components

Affect - Feeling gut level response before brain registers

Behavior - Punch seek button to change the station

Cognition - Thought (Justin Bieber is another product of the music industry scene)

Attitude Formation

• Classical Conditioning

Stimuli cue other stimuli (Positive Stimulus being paired with a response - Cars and Hot Chicks)

Attitude Formation

• Direct Route

Contortion face pose chick Burger King Commercial - Looks like she's giving a blowjob

Attitude Formation

• Indirect Route

Celebrity who is already liked by a target audience endorses a product

Attitude Formation

• Subliminal Conditioning

Audience is not cognitively aware that they are being influenced.

If you expose things to people often enough they might start enjoying it.

Attitude Formation

• Instrumental Conditioning

Rewards and Punishments

• Parents pass on political views whether they realize it or not

Attitude Formation

• Observational Learning

• Exposure to others
• Social Comparison (Believe in Unicorns - Ask other kids and they don't believe you)
• Reference Groups (People we like we tend to believe in things that they believe in)

How well do attitudes predict Behaviors?

• Role Playing

• Freshman Students trying to role play as college students.
• Stanford Prison Study - Zimbardo

  Investigated how readily people would conform to the roles of guard and prisoner in a role-playing exercise that simulated prison life.

How well do attitudes predict believers?

• When Saying becomes believing 

D.A.R.E. program

Foot-In-The-Door-Phenomenon

• Starting Small and Building

Sex Parties and Tupperware Parties

Foot-In-The-Door-Phenomenon

• Lowballing

Air-Line Tickets cost $99 to fly across the country.

Agree to initial request and the price increases after your agreement

• You must pay more to have working bathrooms and bigger luggage storage spaces.

Foot-In-The-Door-Phenomenon

Evil and Moral Acts

Participate in Holocaust

• Is due to situation and not bc they're evil

Interracial b/h and past attitudes

Gvt Forced desegregation

• If you change b/h sometimes if will elicit change in attitude
• 50's and 60's white people would say, "Wow, I have black friends."

Social Movements

• 1930's Hitler found ways to propagate a cause.
• Students started to stand up and say the Pledge of Allegiance.
• Under God added in the 1950's to differentiate from Russia

Why does our b/h affect our attitudes?

• Self-Presentation

• Impression Management (We don't want to be considered a flake)
• Appearing consistent (If I do something, I really believe in it)
• Goals (To play more and not play with local rock flakes)

Self-Justification

• Cognitive Dissonance

Is Discomforting

• Caused by holding two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time.
• Performs an action that is contradictory to one or more beliefs or values.
• Or is confronted by new information that conflicts with existing beliefs, ideas, or values.

Self-Justification

• Insufficient Justification

No one wants to believe their strategic plan is irrational.

Our b/h van affect our attitudes (Don't even believe in smoking - but we still smoke)

• All smoking data is correlational
• Reduce dissonance by making a justification (I look cool when I smoke Cigs)

Justification of effort

Hazing in Fraternity (I belong here and the effort is for a cause)

Self-Perception

If I am not sure of an attitude; so, I as myself what are my behaviors related to this topic?

• Use behavior to infer our attitudes (I read a lot of Jordan Peterson, So I must enjoy him)

Self-Perception

• Expressions and Attitudes

Self-Perception theory states that people's attitudes are developed by their own behavior

Motivations

• Self-Perception
• What the reward implies?

You may realize actions are externally controlled (not getting money from your parents for taking piano lessons)

• Must give your child an internal reason for doing something

Comparing the Theories

• Dissonance Theory vs. Self-Perception Theory

• Dissonance Theory - Attitudes change (Vaping to quit smoking)
• Self-Perception Theory - Attitude Formation (How exactly we formed the attitude)

Social Influence and Conformity

• How much do we want to be like other people? Examples.

Baby Boomers - Don't conform to be a true American (Are Non-Conformists)

• Are conforming to the 'idea' of being different

What is conformity

Types

• Compliance

Publicly going along with a request for a fancy event

What is conformity?

Types

• Obedience

Directly given an order or command

What is conformity?

Types

• Acceptance

Internalization - Go along with social pressure bc you truly believe in what you are accepting

Classic Conformity Studies

Norm Information

• Sheriff's auto-kinetic phenomenon

Put people in a dark room and one light that's not moving will look like it's moving differently to various people (Ambiguity Studies)

• Nobody wanted others to think they're stupid so they reported seeing 2 inches instead of 5 feet. 

Classic Conformity Studies

The Power of Suggestibility - PMS

Radio waves from testing causes pits in windshields

• Someone mentions their windshield cracked, so you check yours.
• UFO sightings - Someone else sees a UFO, and then you see one!
• Copycat Shootings - Las Vegas Shooting - Could happen in Bradford!

Group Pressure

• Solomon Asch

A more objective stimulus

Brought in a group of 13 people (12 were working w/ Asch and 1 wasn't)

• 12 people said the wrong answer so the one guy conformed and also said the wrong answer

Milgram's Obedience Studies 

• Stanley Milgram
• What Breeds Obedience?

Shock Someone if they get an answer wrong.

• Victim's Distance (Teacher and Learner in separate rooms - More likely to go through with it)
• Closeness and Legitimacy of Authority (Stanley wearing a fancy white lab coat)
• Institutional Authority - Not all Germans were inherently evil - They were simply following orders.

Reflections on the Classic Studies

• B/H and attitudes

Attitude follows from b/h

Reflections on the Classic Studies

• Power of the Situation

Drift towards evil occurs in small increments

Reflections on the Classic Studies

• Fundamental Attribution Error

Believe that good people do good things and bad people do bad things - But, Milgram found that good people can do bad things

• Vietnam My Lay Massacre (Info could've been bad to kill innocent people and their sergeant orders soldiers to go through with it - many people massacred)

Reflections on the Classic Studies

What predicts Conformity?

Group Size (most likely to conform when the group is 3-5 people)

Modern primitives - Uvulu and genitals pierced

What predicts Conformity?

• Unanimity

Cohesion (feeling of us against the world)

What predicts conformity?

Status

Leader of the group has the most influence, and low status people are the easiest to influence

What predicts conformity?

Public Response

If you have no prior commitment and someone suggests something then you're more likely to do it.

Uvula pierced? What's that? Okay

Worrying about public response is the reason we vote in private

Why Conform?

Types of Influence

• Normative

We go along bc we want to fill other's expectations (worried about social image)

Why conform?

Types of Influence

• Informational

Accepting evidence about reality from others (What Candidate shall I vote for?) (What is the reality of this person's promises?)

Who Conforms?

• Culture

• Japan - 'The nail that stands out gets pounded down.' - Collectivists

Do we ever want to be different?

• Reactance

Sign says "No Machete Juggling" - Suddenly I have an urge to Juggle Machetes.

Asserting Uniqueness

Feel best about ourselves when moderately unique

Don't want to be a freak but also want to fit in

Picking baby names (Brittany - early 2000's)

Routes to Persuasion

• Central Route

Therefore you should by this car because of the solid engine, and not bc of the cool color.

Focus on Argument - Reliable engine

When you do come to a conclusion it will be unlikely to change

An attitude that is formed this way will be more resilient to attack.

Routes to Persuasion

• Peripheral Route

Focus on cues that trigger acceptance of an argument without trying too hard (Cheap, smells good - laundry sauce). 

Attitude change is superficial and temporary (Coke vs. Pepsi) - both are sugar water

Elements of Persuasion

• Communicator

Mascot? Panther = Image

Credibility (Can you really believe anything they're saying?) Dismiss Weekly World News

Sleeper effect - Over time we will remember a message, but forget the source.

Elements of Persuasion

• Perceived Expertise

Michael Jordan 23 - Nike - Also sells hot dogs and Hanes)

Psychology Professor doesn't know medical material - Don't trust Dr. Leck!

Perceived Trustworthiness

• Mavis Beacon - Trustworthy typing teacher)
• Attractiveness and Liking
• Physical Appearance (Hot chicks posing next to cars)
• Diet coke ad with hot construction worker
• Similarity (Drink Miller Lite and chicks will start wrestling in cement)

Message content

• Reason vs. Emotion

Central Route uses Reason

Peripheral Route uses emotion (Hot chick? I'll buy it)

Message Content

• Attitude Congruency

It is easier to change an attitude through the route that transpired it.

• When buying a new car it is easier to make a new choice through the same route you used for the first car

Message Content

• Effects of Good Feelings

Messages become more persuasive when associated with good feelings (free backpacks at Open House)

Message Content

• Components of successful Fear-Arousing messages
• Threat
• and
• Efficacy

It's not just enough to change someone's mind by scaring them. ('Not wearing condoms' = aids, but scaring them just freezes them and they don't end up changing their behavior or opinion.)

Efficacy is where you include a cognitive component to your message. (If the audience perceives the consequence is likely and is given info to reduce their fears; then, their attitudes and opinions will change accordingly.)

Discrepancy

• Latitude of acceptance

The range of different ideas you're willing to accept.

Discrepancy

• Number of Sides Presented
• One

Effective if you're preaching to the choir. (Speaking to Bradford High Student - "Pitt Brad is the best college duh.")

Discrepancy

• Number of Sides Presented
• Two

Present Both Sides of the argument. (Speaking to student in Philadelphia - "Schools are great around here, and then explain what Pitt Brad has to offer.)

Discrepancy

Primacy vs. Recency

• Primacy

You speak first before the 2nd speaker without a break and the audience will still be hashing over the argument in their heads while the other person is giving their speech.

Discrepancy

Primacy vs. Recency

• Recency

If there is no break between speakers you should go 2nd and the audience will have forgotten the first debate.

Discrepancy

Channel of Communication

• Active Experience vs. Passive Reception

Active experience is the best way to get info across such as donating money to SPCA and walking the dogs.

Passive and spoken appeals are not more persuasive (must be an extremely Understandable, Convincing and Compelling speaker to get your point across.)

Effect of spoken Appeals

• Repeat a lie often enough and people may start to believe it
• If someone is more familiar or knowledgeable of the product/candidate; the less persuaded they may become.

Two-Step Flow of media influence

Opinion Leaders - Like Oprah's book of the month club - becomes best seller

Trendsetters - Like Kim Kardashian taking ass pics with wine glasses will always be ahead of the fashion curve.

Comparing Media

List the Types

Most Persuasive to least persuasive

Live

Video (but, can draw away attention of core message)

Audio

Written (People don't want to take the time to read)

Audience

Theories of Effect of Age on Attitudes

• Life Cycle Explanation

States that you become more conservative as you grow up.

(This explanation does not receive as much support)

Audience

Theories of effect of age on attitudes

Generational Explanation

Attitudes Don't Change often - Hold onto attitudes that were formed and solidified up until early 20's

Ex. (Most notable/life changing event)

Baby Boomers - The Kennedy Assassination

Millennials - 911

Audience

What were they thinking?

• Forewarning

The message will not be as persuasive if the audience is forewarned. "Forewarned is forearmed."

Audience

What were they thinking?

Distraction

Keep the audience from forming opposing points. (Fancy Distraction such as music or imagery.)

Audience

What were they thinking?

• Getting audiences involved

Make them feel responsible for the message - "Repeat it for me please."

Audience

What were they thinking?

• High vs. Low Self Monitoring people

• High Self-Monitoring people will purchase Beats headphones bc they want to emulate that image.
• Low Self-Monitoring people don't care about image and will buy Sennheiser headphones

More Principles of Persuasion

Social Proof

Everyone else is doing it (Jump off a bridge) (Sold 500 Elvis Presley Toilet Brushes)

Reciprocity

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (The Golden Rule)

Consistency 

Honoring Commitments (Someone persuades you to buy something and you decide not to and you feel like a flake.)

Scarcity

Diamonds - Are actually not as rare as many believe as they are owned by a single company proliferating a Monopoly.

Extreme Persuasion

Jonestown Camp

The Mass Poisoning (400 Stood in line to die)

Cool Aid with Cyanide (Mindlessly drinking the Cool Aid)