Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

The Social Psychology of Attitudes467CognitiveComponent:Beliefs, thoughts,ideas about theattitude object“The easy availabilityof fast fooddiscourages peoplefrom eating healthyfood, like fresh fruitsand vegetables.”Attitude:Jill has a negativeattitude towardfast-food restaurants.BehavioralComponent:Predisposition to actin a particular way“When a bighamburger chaintried to build a newrestaurant in my neighborhood,I organizeda petition drive tooppose it.”EmotionalComponent:Feelings andemotions about theattitude object“Fast food is disgusting.I hate their greasy friesand their fakemilkshakes. Not tomention their smarmyad campaigns!”Figure 11.1 The Components ofAttitudes An attitude is a positive or negativeevaluation of an object, person, oridea. An attitude may have cognitive,emotional, and behavioral components.reflected in action. In Aaron’s case, he bought a hybrid gasoline/electric car that gets60 miles to the gallon, even in the city. Even so, he frequently rides his bicycle to campusrather than drive.The Effect of Attitudes on BehaviorIntuitively, you probably assume that your attitudes tend to guide your behavior.But social psychologists have consistently found that people don’t always act inaccordance with their attitudes. For example, you might disapprove of cheating, yetfind yourself peeking at a classmate’s exam paper when the opportunity presentsitself. Or you might strongly favor a certain political candidate, yet not vote onelection day.When are your attitudes likely to influence or determine your behavior? Socialpsychologists have found that you’re most likely to behave in accordance with yourattitudes when:• You anticipate a favorable outcome or response from others for behaving that way.• Your attitudes are extreme or are frequently expressed (Ajzen, 2001).• Your attitudes have been formed through direct experience (Fazio, 1990).• You are very knowledgeable about the subject (Wood & others, 1995).• You have a vested interest in the subject and personally stand to gain or losesomething on a specific issue (Lehman & Crano, 2002).Clearly, your attitudes do influence your behavior in many instances. When youfeel strongly about an issue, have a personal stake in the issue, and anticipate a positiveoutcome in a particular situation, your attitudes will influence your behavior.Now, consider the opposite question: Can your behavior influence your attitudes?Attitudes and Behavior These Greenpeaceactivists have set up a symbolic wind turbinein front of the Castle Peak coal powerstation in Hong Kong. They are demonstratingtheir commitment to renewableenergy and their opposition to coal plantsin Asia that contribute to global warming.People who hold strong opinions andexpress them frequently, like these Greenpeaceactivists, are most likely to behave inaccordance with their attitudes.The Effect of Behavior on AttitudesFried Grasshoppers for Lunch?!Suppose you have volunteered to participate in a psychology experiment. At the lab,a friendly experimenter asks you to indicate your degree of preference for a varietyof foods, including fried grasshoppers, which you rank pretty low on the list. Duringthe experiment, the experimenter instructs you to eat some fried grasshoppers. You