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Attitude Formation
& Attitude Change

Explore how attitudes are formed through experience, learning, and social influence, and discover the psychological mechanisms that change them over time.

AP Psychology

What Is an Attitude?

An attitude is a learned predisposition to respond in a consistently favorable or unfavorable way toward a person, object, or idea. Attitudes shape how we perceive the world, guide our decisions, and influence our behavior.

Affective
How you feel about something: emotions and gut reactions.
Behavioral
How you act toward something: observable actions and intentions.
Cognitive
What you think about something: beliefs, knowledge, and thoughts.

The ABC Model of Attitudes

Attitude Object Affect Feelings Behavior Actions Cognition Beliefs

Each attitude has three interconnected components. The affective component reflects emotional responses, the behavioral component reflects how you act, and the cognitive component reflects your beliefs and thoughts.

Why Do Attitudes Matter?

Attitudes are central to social psychology because they predict behavior, shape social interactions, and influence decision-making. Understanding how they form helps us understand persuasion, prejudice, and social influence.

1
Predict behavior: Strong attitudes held with certainty are more likely to guide actions.
2
Filter perception: Attitudes act as mental shortcuts that shape how we interpret new information.
3
Guide social interaction: Shared attitudes create in-groups and influence whom we trust and befriend.
4
Drive change: Understanding attitude change underpins advertising, therapy, and social movements.

How Attitudes Form

Direct Experience Personal encounters Classical Conditioning Operant Conditioning Observational Learning Attitude Formed Mere Exposure Familiarity breeds liking Social/Cultural Norms and groups Cognitive Appraisal

The Elaboration Likelihood Model

Persuasive Message Central Route High elaboration Peripheral Route Low elaboration Analyzes arguments Evidence and logic Relies on cues Celebrity, attractiveness Lasting Change Temporary Change

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Belief "Smoking is bad" Behavior "I smoke" ✕ DISSONANCE Resolution Strategies Change belief, change behavior, or rationalize the inconsistency

Leon Festinger (1957) proposed that when our beliefs and behaviors conflict, we experience psychological discomfort called cognitive dissonance. To reduce this tension, we often change our attitude to match our behavior.

Central vs. Peripheral Processing

Central Route Peripheral Route
Elaboration High: deep thinking Low: surface-level
Focus Argument quality Cues (attractiveness, fame)
Motivation High personal relevance Low personal relevance
Result Lasting change Temporary change
Example Reading drug trial data Celebrity endorsement

Other Persuasion Frameworks

Foot-in-the-Door
Start with a small request, then escalate. Compliance with the first request increases likelihood of agreeing to a larger one.
Door-in-the-Face
Start with a large request (likely refused), then follow with a smaller, more reasonable one. The contrast makes the second seem easy.
Self-Perception
Bem's theory: We infer our attitudes by observing our own behavior, especially when internal cues are weak or ambiguous.
Reactance
When people feel their freedom is threatened, they may adopt attitudes opposite to the persuader's intent.

How to Analyze Attitude Change

1
Identify the source: Who is delivering the message? Are they credible, attractive, or similar to the audience?
2
Examine the message: Is it logical and evidence-based (central), or emotional and cue-laden (peripheral)?
3
Assess the audience: Is the audience motivated and able to process deeply? What is their prior attitude?
4
Check for dissonance: Does the situation create a conflict between the audience's beliefs and behavior?
5
Predict durability: Central route processing leads to lasting change; peripheral leads to temporary shifts.

Example: Political Campaign Ad

A political campaign runs two versions of an ad for the same candidate. Version A presents detailed policy proposals with statistics. Version B shows the candidate smiling with their family and uses an upbeat soundtrack.

Version A
Central route: Targets voters who are informed and motivated to compare policies. Produces strong, lasting attitude change.
Version B
Peripheral route: Uses attractiveness, warmth, and emotional music as cues. Changes may fade after the ad stops airing.

Example: Festinger's Classic Study

In Festinger and Carlsmith (1959), participants performed a boring task. Some were paid $1 and others $20 to tell the next participant it was fun. Later, the $1 group rated the task as more enjoyable.

$1 Group High dissonance Changed attitude "Task was fun" $20 Group Low dissonance Kept original attitude "Task was boring"

Example: The Mere Exposure Effect

Robert Zajonc (1968) showed participants unfamiliar Chinese characters at different frequencies. Characters shown more often were rated as more pleasant, even though participants didn't know their meaning.

Liking Rating Number of Exposures 1 5 10 15 25 Low Med High More exposure = more liking

The Source of Persuasion

Not all persuaders are equally effective. Research identifies key source characteristics that influence attitude change:

Credibility
Expertise + trustworthiness. A doctor advocating exercise is more persuasive than a random stranger.
Attractiveness
Physically attractive or likable sources are more persuasive, especially via the peripheral route.
Similarity
We are more influenced by people who seem like us: shared values, background, or identity group.

Common Mistakes on Attitude Questions

✕ Confusing Routes
Mixing up central (logic/evidence) with peripheral (cues/emotions). Remember: central = deep thinking.
✕ Dissonance Direction
Assuming dissonance always changes behavior. Often it's the attitude that changes to match existing behavior.
✕ Foot vs. Door
Reversing foot-in-the-door (small then big) and door-in-the-face (big then small). Think of the names literally.

Summary of Key Theories

Theory Key Idea Result
ELM: Central Route Deep processing of arguments Lasting change
ELM: Peripheral Route Superficial cues and shortcuts Temporary change
Cognitive Dissonance Belief-behavior conflict Attitude shifts to match behavior
Mere Exposure Repeated contact with stimulus Increased liking
Self-Perception Infer attitudes from own behavior Attitude formed post-hoc
Foot-in-the-Door Small request, then large request Increased compliance

Question 1 of 5

A consumer carefully reads nutrition labels and ingredient lists before deciding to switch to a new brand of cereal. Which route of persuasion best describes this behavior?

Question 2 of 5

In Festinger and Carlsmith's classic study, participants paid $1 to lie about a boring task later reported enjoying it more than those paid $20. This finding best supports which theory?

Question 3 of 5

A charity first asks people to sign a petition supporting clean water. Two weeks later, they ask the same people for a monetary donation. Which compliance technique is being used?

Question 4 of 5

A student who initially dislikes a song begins to enjoy it after hearing it repeatedly on the radio. This best illustrates which concept?

Question 5 of 5

According to the ABC model of attitudes, which component is reflected when a person thinks "Recycling reduces landfill waste"?