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- https://www.simplypsychology.org/attitudes.html
- The question wants us to express our knowledge and understanding of the linkage between attitude and behaviour. We have to discuss to what extent can attitude determine the behaviour of a person.
- In the introduction, write a few introductory lines about the meaning of attitude. E.g An attitude is “a relatively enduring organization of beliefs, feelings, and behavioural tendencies towards socially significant objects, groups, events or symbols”.
- In the main body, discuss the principle of consistency. E.g One of the underlying assumptions about the link between attitudes and behaviour is that of consistency. This means that we often or usually expect the behaviour of a person to be consistent with the attitudes that they hold. This is called the principle of consistency; The principle of consistency reflects the idea that people are rational and attempt to behave rationally at all times and that a person’s behaviour should be consistent with their attitude(s).
Whilst this principle may be a sound one, it is clear that people do not always follow it, sometimes behaving in seemingly quite illogical ways; for example, smoking cigarettes and knowing that smoking causes lung cancer and heart disease. - Discuss about the strength of an attitude and its influence on behaviour. E.g The strength with which an attitude is held is often a good predictor of behaviour. Attitude strength involves: Importance / personal relevance refers to how significant the attitude is for the person and relates to self-interest, social identification and value. If an attitude has a high self-interest for a person (i.e. it is held by a group the person is a member of or would like to be a member of, and is related to a person’s values), it is going to be extremely important. As a consequence, the attitude will have a very strong influence on a person’s behaviour. By contrast, an attitude will not be important to a person if it does not relate in any way to their life. The knowledge aspect of attitude strength covers how much a person knows about the attitude object.
Answer:-
Attitude is a relatively enduring organization of beliefs, feelings, and behavioural tendencies towards socially significant objects, groups, events or symbols. It is a psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favour or disfavour.
Attitude can be defined as our response to people, places, things, or events in life. It can be referred to as a person’s viewpoint, mindset, beliefs, etc. Our attitude towards people, places, things, or situations determines the choices that we make.
Principle of consistency:-
- This means that we often or usually expect the behaviour of a person to be consistent with the attitudes that they hold. This is called the principle of consistency.
- The principle of consistency reflects the idea that people are rational and attempt to behave rationally at all times and that a person’s behaviour should be consistent with their attitude.
- Whilst this principle may be a sound one, it is clear that people do not always follow it, sometimes behaving in seemingly quite illogical ways; for example, smoking cigarettes and knowing that smoking causes lung cancer and heart disease.
- There is evidence that the cognitive and affective components of behaviour do not always match with behaviour.
Influence of attitude on behaviour:-
- People behave in accordance with their attitudes. Our attitudes develop over time and not only reflect where we have come from but also how we will proceed with our life in the future. Attitudes are therefore a powerful element in our life, are long enduring and hard to change easily.
- However, attitudes and actual behaviours are not always perfectly aligned. The degree of influence begins with the assumption that we behave in accordance with our conscious intentions. They are based, on our rational calculations about the potential effects of our attitude towards our behaviour and about how other people will feel about it.
- People may actually alter their attitudes in order to better align them with their behaviours. Cognitive dissonance is a phenomenon in which a person experiences psychological distress due to conflicting thoughts or beliefs. In order to reduce this tension, people may change their attitudes to reflect their other beliefs or actual behaviours.
- The strength with which an attitude is held is often a good predictor of behaviour.
- Importance / personal relevance refers to how significant the attitude is for the person and relates to self-interest, social identification and value.
- If an attitude has a high self-interest for a person (i.e. it is held by a group the person is a member of or would like to be a member of, and is related to a person’s values), it is going to be extremely important.
- As a consequence, the attitude will have a very strong influence on a person’s behaviour.
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The overall content of the answer is well aligned on the lines of the question asked.
The mention of various examples specifying the linkage between attitude and behaviour are appreciable.
The linkage between attitude and behaviour through explanation is also elaborated well along with the cases.
Satisfactory conclusion.
All in all a decent answer.
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Very good way of presenting the idea of consistency of behaviour through the examples of Hitler and Greta Thunberg.
The body part is also presented well and has good content.
The structurization of the answer is fantastic.
It is good that you discussed all the components of the attitude while linking each other.
The conclusion is satisfactory.
“The strength with which an attitude is held is often a good predictor of behaviour. The stronger the attitude the more likely it should affect behavior. We often or usually expect the behaviour of a person to be consistent with the attitudes that they hold.” Comment. (15 Marks)
Attitudes are a key aspect of human psychology and play an important role in shaping our beliefs, values, and behaviors. An attitude can be defined as a relatively enduring evaluation of an object, person, or situation, and can be positive, negative, or neutral in nature. The strength with which an attitude is held is often a good predictor of behavior, as the more strongly an attitude is held, the more likely it is to influence behavior.
According to the theory of planned behavior, attitudes are one of the three main predictors of behavior, along with subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. Attitudes can influence behavior in a number of ways, including by shaping our intentions, influencing the way we perceive and evaluate information, and guiding our decision-making processes.
Research has shown that attitudes that are strongly held are more likely to predict behavior than attitudes that are weakly held. This is because strongly held attitudes are more likely to be accessible in memory, and therefore more likely to influence the way we perceive and respond to situations.
However, it is important to note that attitudes are not always consistent predictors of behavior, as there are many other factors that can influence behavior, including social norms, situational constraints, and individual differences in personality and motivation. For example, a person may hold a strongly negative attitude towards smoking, but may still smoke due to peer pressure or addiction.
In conclusion, the strength with which an attitude is held is often a good predictor of behavior, as strongly held attitudes are more likely to influence our perceptions, evaluations, and decision-making processes. However, it is important to recognize that attitudes are not the only factor that influences behavior, and that other factors such as social norms, situational constraints, and individual differences can also play an important role.