Attitudes in Psychology- Discover the 3 Components, 4 Meanings, and 5 Functions of Amazing Attitudes

What are Attitudes in Psychology?

In psychology, attitudes refer to evaluations or judgments about a specific person, group, action, or object. When we use words like “like,” “dislike,” “love,” “hate,” “good,” or “bad,” we are expressing our attitudes. For instance, your opinion about India reflects your attitude toward the country. An attitude is directed toward a particular entity or object, rather than everything connected to it. Attitudes are how we evaluate and respond to the social world around us. In essence, attitudes involve positive or negative views of a person (including oneself), place, object, or event, which is referred to as the attitude object.

There are various forms of attitudes. For example, self-esteem represents one’s attitude toward oneself, while prejudice reflects negative attitudes toward certain groups. Interpersonal attraction refers to attitudes toward individuals, and job satisfaction relates to one’s attitude toward their job. Now, consider this, “What is your attitude toward lizards?” Just imagine!

Attitudes Definition in Psychology

Allport (1935) defined attitude as “a mental and neural state of readiness, organised through experience, and exerting a directive or dynamic influence upon the individual’s response to all objects and situations with which it is related”

Fishbein & Ajzen (1975) define an attitude as “a learned predisposition to respond in a consistently favourable or unfavourable manner with respect to a given object”.

Hogg & Vaughan (2005) defined an attitude is “a relatively enduring organization of beliefs, feelings, and behavioural tendencies towards socially significant objects, groups, events or symbols”

“An Attitude is a psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of Favor or disfavour” (Eagly & Chaiken, 1993)

Types of Attitudes in Psychology

1. Explicit attitudes

• Explicit attitudes are those we are fully aware of and can easily articulate. These attitudes are conscious, meaning we can recognize and reflect on them. Because of their conscious nature, they are also controllable, allowing us to deliberately express them in our actions, conversations, or behaviours.
• For instance, if someone expresses their love for a particular brand or their dislike for a certain type of food, they are demonstrating an explicit attitude.
• Most of the attitudes we consciously reflect on in day-to-day life are explicit, as we have direct access to them and can modify or regulate them as needed. Explicit attitudes are often shaped by personal experiences, cultural norms, and social influences, and since they are reportable, they can be easily measured in self-reports or surveys.

2. Implicit attitudes

• Implicit attitudes operate on a subconscious level and may not be as readily accessible to us. These attitudes are often automatic, uncontrollable, and difficult to verbalize. Even if we are unaware of them, implicit attitude can still influence our behaviours and perceptions.
• For example, an individual may hold implicit biases toward certain social groups without consciously recognizing or endorsing these biases.
• Because of their hidden nature, implicit attitudes are harder to measure through self-report methods. Instead, tools like the Implicit Association Test (IAT), developed by Greenwald, McGhee, and Schwarz in 1998, are used to assess these attitudes indirectly.
• The IAT reveals how quickly and automatically people associate different concepts, providing insights into biases or preferences that might not be openly acknowledged or even consciously recognized. Implicit attitudes are shaped by long-term exposure to societal values, media, and personal experiences, making them a subtle yet powerful influence on human behaviour.

Components of Attitude or ABCs Of Attitude in Psychology

In psychology, the multidimensional or tricomponent view of attitudes suggests that attitudes are composed of three core elements, often referred to as the ABCs of attitudes: Affect (feelings), Behaviour (tendency to act), and Cognition (thoughts). These three components represent the fundamental building blocks of attitudes.

1. Affective Component of Attitude

• This component reflects a person’s emotional response or feelings about the attitude object. Emotions such as fear, humour, anger, empathy, hate, love, pleasure, jealousy, and disgust are examples of the affective aspect. The intensity of these emotions can vary, and they typically arise from personal experiences or by observing the experiences of others.
• These emotional responses play a crucial role in shaping our future behaviours. The affective component works closely with the cognitive process, influencing how we perceive and react to various situations.
• Emotional appeals are frequently utilized in advertising, health campaigns, and political messages to persuade people. Research highlights that affect plays a significant role in both attitude formation and attitude change, as well as in persuasion and social influence. In many cases, how we feel about a particular outcome may override rational, cognitive evaluations.

2. Behavioural Component of Attitude

• This component relates to the predisposition or tendency to act in a certain way based on the attitude we hold. It refers to how our attitudes influence our actions or behaviours. However, it’s important to distinguish between a behavioural tendency and actual behaviour.
• A behavioural tendency may not necessarily predict how a person will act in reality. While behaviours are overt actions, our intention to behave in a particular way may not always align with how we truly act.
• For example, you might develop a positive attitude toward a product advertised on television without actually forming solid beliefs about it (perhaps due to a lack of knowledge) or making any purchasing decisions.
• The mere exposure effect, demonstrated by Zajonc (1968), explains how repeated exposure to an object or individual can lead to more positive feelings towards them, even without deep cognitive processing. This effect shows that attitudes can develop simply through familiarity.

3. Cognitive Component of Attitude

• The cognitive component consists of our thoughts, beliefs, and ideas about the attitudinal object. The term “cognition” refers to the processes of knowing, conceptualizing, or recognizing. This component acts as a storage area for the information we gather about an attitude object, organizing this information to form beliefs or opinions. Based on available information, we form either favourable or unfavourable judgments about the object.
• When the attitude object is a person, these cognitive judgments often result in stereotypes, such as the belief that “Punjabis are fun-loving.” Although cognition is a key component of many attitudes, some attitudes may be more strongly rooted in the affective rather than the cognitive component. In some cases, not all three components are present in a particular attitude.
• Research by Eagly and Chaiken (1993) suggests that attitudes can exist without all three components, showing that affect, behaviour, or cognition can dominate in different circumstances.

ABC of Attitude

Attitudes generally consist of three component- affective, behavioural, and cognitive. While most attitudes encompass all three, they may be more heavily influenced by one component over the others. Additionally, it’s possible for an attitude to exist without all three components being present at the same time.

Formation of Attitudes in Psychology

Attitudes are primarily shaped through various life experiences, although genetic factors also play a role. Several mechanisms contribute to the development of attitudes-

1. Classical Conditioning

• This process, famously demonstrated by Pavlov in his experiment with dogs, involves pairing an unconditioned stimulus (like food) with a neutral stimulus (like a bell). Over repeated pairings, the neutral stimulus (bell) comes to elicit the same response (salivation) as the unconditioned stimulus (food).
• This process can create positive or negative attitudes toward previously neutral objects. For example, if you repeatedly hear a catchy song (unconditioned stimulus) while using a particular product (neutral stimulus), you may develop a positive attitude toward the product.
• Arthur and Carolyn Staats (1958) systematically studied the classical conditioning of attitudes and demonstrated how associations between stimuli can form attitudes.

2. Instrumental Conditioning

• Also known as operant conditioning, this process was studied by Thorndike (1911) and Skinner (1938). It involves learning through rewards and punishments. Behaviours followed by positive outcomes are reinforced and tend to be repeated, whereas behaviours followed by negative outcomes are suppressed.
• For example, if expressing a particular attitude result in social approval, you are more likely to hold onto and express that attitude in the future. Conversely, if an attitude results in negative feedback, you might suppress it.

3. Observational Learning

• Observational learning, or social learning, occurs when individuals acquire new behaviours or attitudes simply by watching others. This form of learning doesn’t require direct reinforcement; rather, it happens through modelling.
• For instance, if you witness someone having a negative experience at the college canteen (such as getting sick after eating), you might develop a negative attitude toward the canteen without personally experiencing it. Through observation, attitudes are shaped by the behaviours and outcomes of others.

4. Genetic Factors

• Research suggests that genetics can also influence attitudes. Studies by Waller, Keller, and others indicate that individuals may inherit a predisposition toward developing certain attitudes or views on various issues.
• For example, Arvey et al. (1989) studied job satisfaction levels among 34 sets of identical twins and found that approximately 30% of their job satisfaction could be attributed to genetic factors.
• Tesser (1993) also argued that hereditary variables may play a significant role in shaping attitudes, suggesting that some individuals may be biologically predisposed to view certain topics in a particular way.

Formation of Attitude

Attitudes are shaped through a combination of classical conditioning, instrumental conditioning, observational learning, and genetic factors, with each contributing uniquely to how we develop and maintain our views and beliefs.

Characteristics or Properties of Attitude in psychology

1. Attitude Strength

Attitudes can vary in strength, and stronger attitudes tend to have a greater influence on behaviour. Strong attitudes are central to a person’s identity and are often linked to their core values. Several dimensions influence attitude strength-

• Certainty- This refers to how much an individual knows about the attitude object. Greater knowledge often translates into a stronger attitude.
• Extremity- The level of favourableness or unfavourableness toward the attitude object. For instance, someone who avoids touching dogs may have an extreme negative attitude toward them.
• Intensity- Intensity reflects the emotional reaction an attitude provokes. For example, someone may grow pale just at the sight of a dog, indicating a strong emotional response.
• Attitude Origin- Attitudes formed through direct experience tend to be stronger than those shaped through indirect means.
• Personal Importance- The degree to which an individual cares about the attitude object. For example, a 22-year-old might react more strongly to a law that raises the drinking age to 25 than a 40-year-old would.

2. Attitude Accessibility

This refers to how easily an attitude can be retrieved from memory. Highly accessible attitudes can be quickly brought to mind and are more likely to predict behaviour. For instance, seeing a cockroach might instantly trigger a “yuck” response, whereas deciding what to eat at a restaurant may require more thought. Factors affecting accessibility include-

• Attitude Importance- If an attitude is important to the individual, they are more likely to actively seek information about it, making it more accessible.
• Affect vs. Cognitive Evaluation- Affective responses (emotional) are generally faster and more accessible than cognitive evaluations (thought-based).
• Repeated Expression- Repeatedly expressing an attitude makes it more accessible in the future. Research shows that accessible attitudes are more resistant to change and are more likely to lead to consistent behaviour (Powell & Fazio, 1984).

3. Attitude Ambivalence

Attitude ambivalence occurs when an individual holds both positive and negative attitudes toward the same object. This mixed evaluation can lead to internal conflict and reduced attitude-behaviour consistency. For example, chronic dieters may experience ambivalence toward food—they enjoy eating but also want to stay slim. Similarly, one might have ambivalence toward arranged marriages, torn between valuing parental obedience and valuing personal freedom.

Ambivalent attitudes tend to be less accessible and less extreme than non-ambivalent ones, making them more susceptible to change. Research also shows that people with a higher need for cognition (who enjoy deep thinking) experience less ambivalence, as they are better able to process conflicting information and resolve contradictions.

Properties of Attitudes

Attitudes are multifaceted and can vary in strength, accessibility, and ambivalence. These characteristics play a significant role in how attitudes influence behaviour and how they are formed or changed over time.

Functions Of Attitudes in Psychology

Daniel Katz (1960) distinguishes four types of psychological functions that attitudes meet

1. Utilitarian Function (Instrumental Function)– We develop certain attitudes towards objects that aid/ reward us. We want to increase rewards and reduce penalties. Katz says we develop positive attitudes towards those objects that are associated with rewards and develop negative attitudes toward those that are associated with punishment. For example, if you are from reserve category you will Favor the political party that introduced such reservations. If you are not from reserve category, you might develop a negative attitude towards the same party. We are more likely to change our attitudes if doing so allows us to achieve our goals or avoid undesirable consequences
2. Knowledge Function of attitude– We all have a need to attain some degree of meaningful, stable, clear, and organised view of the world. Attitudes satisfy this knowledge function by providing a frame of reference for shaping our world so that it makes sense. In cognitive perspective, attitudes serve as schemas that help us in organizing and interpreting social information. For example – A tourist will prefer another country because news stories about unrest in particular country
3. Ego-Defensive Function of attitude– Some attitudes assist to protect us from acknowledging basic truths about ourselves or the harsh realities of life. It can help a person cope with emotional conflicts and guard self-esteem. As per psychoanalytic perspective, and assumes that attitudes serve as defines mechanisms for example- you might do a bike stunt show your fearlessness.
4. Value-Expressive Function of attitude– It is in humanistic perspective. Attitudes show who we are, and what we stand for. For Illustration- You may buy an electric bike to protect environment.
5. Social Identity Function of attitude– Added by Katz. Shavit (1989) it refers to the informativeness of attitudes for person impressions, or how much attitudes appear to convey about the people who hold them. Shavitt and Nelson (2000) suggested that products tend to engage a utilitarian function to the extent that they are seen as expressing identity and values, the product is generally displayed in public or is visible to others, or the product is widely seen as symbolizing membership in a particular group. For example- the purchase of an Indian flag on the Republic Day may be driven primarily by social identity goals. In addition to investigating how attitude functions vary among people, current researches in the field also consider the possibility that different attitude objects may actually serve different functions for different people. For e.g. people purchase certain products to fulfil utilitarian needs (computers, television, etc.) and other products to satisfy value-expressive needs (for e.g. a particular brand of car).

An attitude changes when it no longer serves its function, and the individual feels blocked or frustrated. Thus, those who are interested in changing other people’s attitudes must first determine what functions those attitudes serve for the targeted individuals, and then use an appropriate approach.

References for Attitudes in Psychology

Here are the references with the addition of Myers and Baron in APA format:

Arvey, R. D., Bouchard, T. J., Segal, N. L., & Abraham, L. M. (1989). Job satisfaction: Environmental and genetic components. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74(2), 187-192. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.74.2.187

Baron, R. A., & Branscombe, N. R. (2012). Social psychology (13th ed.). Pearson Education.

Conner, M., Povey, R., Sparks, P., James, R., & Shepherd, R. (2003). Moderating role of ambivalence on attitude-intention relations. European Journal of Social Psychology, 33(4), 493-508. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.158

Eagly, A. H., & Chaiken, S. (1993). The psychology of attitudes. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers.

Myers, D. G., & Twenge, J. M. (2019). Exploring social psychology (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

Pavlov, I. P. (1927). Conditioned reflexes: An investigation of the physiological activity of the cerebral cortex. Oxford University Press.

Powell, M. C., & Fazio, R. H. (1984). Attitude accessibility as a function of repeated attitudinal expression. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 10(1), 139-148. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167284101016

Staats, A. W., & Staats, C. K. (1958). Attitudes established by classical conditioning. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 57(1), 37-40. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0042782

Tesser, A. (1993). The importance of heritability in psychological research: The case of attitudes. Psychological Review, 100(1), 129-142. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.100.1.129

Thorndike, E. L. (1911). Animal intelligence: Experimental studies. Macmillan.

Zajonc, R. B. (1968). Attitudinal effects of mere exposure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 9(2, Pt.2), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0025848