MCAT Psychological Social Foundations Flashcards: 7c Theories Attitude Behavior Change

What this deck covers

This deck focuses on 7c Theories Attitude Behavior Change, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for MCAT Psychological Social Foundations.

How to use these flashcards

Work through these flashcards in short sessions. Try to answer each prompt before flipping the card, then revisit any cards you miss until the explanation feels automatic.

Flashcard 1: What is the definition of the foot-in-the-door technique?

Answer: Small initial request increases compliance with a larger request. It builds commitment through consistency, making larger requests more acceptable.

Flashcard 2: What is self-perception theory as an explanation for attitude formation/change?

Answer: People infer attitudes by observing their own behavior and context. "I must like it because I do it" - behavior shapes attitudes.

Flashcard 3: What is the term for changing attitudes to match behavior after engaging in an inconsistent action?

Answer: Effort justification (a form of dissonance reduction). People value what they work hard for to reduce dissonance.

Flashcard 4: What is cognitive dissonance?

Answer: Psychological discomfort from inconsistent cognitions or behavior. It motivates individuals to resolve inconsistencies between beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors.

Flashcard 5: Which ELM route relies on cues such as attractiveness or authority rather than content?

Answer: Peripheral route processing. It occurs when motivation or ability is low, relying on heuristics for temporary attitude shifts.

Flashcard 6: What is the key prediction of ELM about attitudes formed via the central route?

Answer: More durable and predictive of behavior. Central processing yields attitudes that are resistant to change and strongly guide actions.

Flashcard 7: What does the Elaboration Likelihood Model call the route using cues like attractiveness?

Answer: Peripheral route. Uses superficial cues rather than message content.

Flashcard 8: What does the Elaboration Likelihood Model call the route using careful argument evaluation?

Answer: Central route. Involves systematic processing of message content and logic.

Flashcard 9: What does the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) describe in persuasion?

Answer: Central vs peripheral routes of attitude change. Two processing paths depend on motivation and ability to think.

Flashcard 10: Which condition best increases dissonance from a counterattitudinal behavior: high or low external justification?

Answer: Low external justification. Insufficient reward increases need to justify behavior internally.

Flashcard 11: Which ELM route tends to produce more durable attitude change: central or peripheral?

Answer: Central route. Deep processing creates stronger, longer-lasting attitudes.

Flashcard 12: What does self-perception theory propose about how people infer their attitudes?

Answer: They infer attitudes from observing their own behavior. Like outside observers, people deduce attitudes from actions.

Flashcard 13: Which theory predicts behavior primarily from attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control?

Answer: Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Extends TRA by adding control beliefs about ability to perform behavior.

Flashcard 14: What is the reciprocity norm as used in persuasion and compliance?

Answer: Obligation to return favors or concessions. People feel compelled to reciprocate gifts or compromises.

Flashcard 15: What is the foot-in-the-door technique in compliance?

Answer: Small request first, then a larger request. Initial compliance increases likelihood of agreeing to more.

Flashcard 16: Which concept explains attitude change by aligning with a group to gain acceptance and avoid rejection?

Answer: Normative social influence. Conformity driven by desire for social approval, not accuracy.

Flashcard 17: Which ELM route involves careful, effortful processing of argument quality?

Answer: Central route. High motivation/ability leads to scrutiny of message content.

Flashcard 18: What does cognitive dissonance theory predict after a person freely chooses a counterattitudinal act?

Answer: Attitude change to reduce dissonance. Inconsistency creates discomfort, motivating attitude alignment.

Flashcard 19: Identify the concept: a stronger attitude–behavior link when situational pressure is low.

Answer: Theory of reasoned action/TPB: behavior aligns more with attitudes. In these theories, low external pressures allow attitudes to dominate intentions and behaviors.

Flashcard 20: What two conditions primarily increase central-route processing in the ELM?

Answer: High motivation and high ability to process the message. Both factors must be present for systematic message processing.

Flashcard 21: What is the lowball technique in compliance?

Answer: Secure agreement, then raise the cost. Commitment to initial terms creates pressure to follow through.

Flashcard 22: What does the Theory of Reasoned Action assume about behaviors it best predicts?

Answer: They are under volitional (intentional) control. TRA works best when people have complete control over their actions.

Flashcard 23: Which social psychology principle predicts that behavior can shape attitudes via public commitment and consistency?

Answer: Commitment and consistency principle. People align future actions with past commitments to appear consistent.

Flashcard 24: What does the Theory of Reasoned Action state is the most proximal predictor of behavior?

Answer: Behavioral intention. TRA posits intentions mediate between attitudes/norms and actual behavior.

Flashcard 25: In the HBM, what are cues to action?

Answer: Internal or external triggers that prompt health behavior. Cues activate the readiness formed by other HBM perceptions to initiate behaviors.

Flashcard 26: What is the definition of subjective norms in the theory of planned behavior?

Answer: Perceived social pressure to perform or not perform a behavior. Subjective norms reflect social influences on intentions within the TPB framework.

Flashcard 27: What is perceived behavioral control in the Theory of Planned Behavior?

Answer: Belief about ease or difficulty of performing the behavior. Reflects confidence in one's ability to execute the behavior successfully.

Flashcard 28: Which theory best explains attitude inference when arousal is low or ambiguity is high?

Answer: Self-perception theory. Under low arousal or high ambiguity, people infer attitudes from behavior without dissonance.

Flashcard 29: Which concept explains attitude change by accepting others as a source of information about reality?

Answer: Informational social influence. Conformity driven by desire to be correct in ambiguous situations.

Flashcard 30: What is a subjective norm in the Theory of Reasoned Action/Planned Behavior?

Answer: Perceived social pressure to perform or not perform a behavior. Reflects what important others think you should do.

Flashcard 31: In cognitive dissonance theory, what is the role of insufficient justification?

Answer: Less external reward increases internal attitude change. Minimal external incentives lead to internal justification via attitude shifts to resolve dissonance.

Flashcard 32: What is the theory of planned behavior (TPB) used to predict?

Answer: Behavior from intentions shaped by attitudes, norms, and control. TPB forecasts deliberate actions via intentions influenced by key psychological factors.

Flashcard 33: What is the door-in-the-face technique in compliance?

Answer: Large request first, then a smaller request. Rejection of extreme request makes moderate seem reasonable.

Flashcard 34: What does the low-ball technique involve to increase compliance?

Answer: Gain commitment, then increase the cost or reduce benefits. People maintain consistency with initial commitment despite worse terms.

Flashcard 35: What two factors determine behavioral intention in the Theory of Reasoned Action?

Answer: Attitude toward the behavior and subjective norms. TRA excludes perceived control, focusing only on attitudes and social pressure.

Flashcard 36: According to cognitive dissonance theory, what change reduces dissonance most directly?

Answer: Change an attitude or behavior to restore consistency. Aligning attitudes with behavior eliminates the uncomfortable tension.

Flashcard 37: What does the foot-in-the-door technique involve to increase compliance?

Answer: Small initial request followed by a larger request. Commitment to small request increases likelihood of agreeing to larger one.

Flashcard 38: What does the Health Belief Model (HBM) primarily explain?

Answer: Health behavior decisions based on beliefs about illness and action. HBM uses perceptions of threats, benefits, and barriers to predict preventive health actions.

Flashcard 39: Identify the model that states attitudes have affective, behavioral, and cognitive components.

Answer: ABC model of attitudes. Attitudes comprise feelings (A), actions (B), and thoughts (C).

Flashcard 40: What combination of factors increases central route processing in the ELM?

Answer: High motivation and high ability to process the message. These conditions enable deep engagement with message content, leading to central processing.

Flashcard 41: Which ELM route relies on cues like attractiveness, authority, or number of arguments?

Answer: Peripheral route. Low motivation/ability leads to superficial processing of cues.

Flashcard 42: Which HBM construct refers to belief about how serious the condition and its consequences are?

Answer: Perceived severity. It influences health decisions by evaluating the potential impact of untreated conditions.

Flashcard 43: What is the definition of the sleeper effect in persuasion?

Answer: Attitude change increases over time as source is forgotten. Memory dissociation allows the message to persuade as the discounting cue fades.

Flashcard 44: What are the three components of the ABC model of attitudes?

Answer: Affect, behavior, and cognition. The ABC model delineates attitudes into emotional responses, behavioral tendencies, and cognitive beliefs.

Flashcard 45: What three determinants form behavioral intention in the Theory of Planned Behavior?

Answer: Attitude toward behavior, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control. These three factors combine to create the intention to perform a behavior.

Flashcard 46: Which ELM route relies on careful scrutiny of arguments and evidence?

Answer: Central route processing. This route involves high elaboration, evaluating the merits of persuasive arguments for lasting change.

Flashcard 47: What does the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) explain about persuasion?

Answer: Two routes to persuasion: central and peripheral. ELM posits dual pathways for attitude change, depending on the depth of message processing.

Flashcard 48: Which theory best explains attitude change when internal cues are weak: dissonance or self-perception?

Answer: Self-perception theory. When unsure of feelings, people look to their behavior for attitude cues.

Flashcard 49: What is the key additional predictor in TPB that extends the Theory of Reasoned Action?

Answer: Perceived behavioral control. Reflects one's belief about ease/difficulty of performing the behavior.

Flashcard 50: What is the lowball technique in compliance?

Answer: Secure agreement, then increase the cost or reduce benefits. Commitment to the initial agreement persists despite unfavorable changes due to consistency bias.

Flashcard 51: What is meant by subjective norm in the Theory of Reasoned Action or TPB?

Answer: Perceived social pressure to perform a behavior. Reflects what important others think one should do.

Flashcard 52: Which theory best explains attitude formation when internal cues are weak or ambiguous?

Answer: Self-perception theory. When unsure of feelings, behavior becomes the primary cue.

Flashcard 53: Identify the theory: people adopt attitudes to reduce uncertainty and belong to a valued group.

Answer: Social identity theory. Group membership shapes self-concept and associated attitudes.

Flashcard 54: What does the Theory of Planned Behavior state predicts behavior most directly?

Answer: Behavioral intention (shaped by attitude, norms, and perceived control). Intention mediates between attitudes/beliefs and actual behavior performance.

Flashcard 55: What does the door-in-the-face technique involve to increase compliance?

Answer: Large initial request refused, then a smaller request. Contrast effect makes second request seem more reasonable.

Flashcard 56: What is the definition of the door-in-the-face technique?

Answer: Large request refused, then smaller request gains compliance. Reciprocity and contrast effects make the subsequent smaller request seem reasonable.

Flashcard 57: In TPB, what does perceived behavioral control most closely resemble?

Answer: Self-efficacy (perceived ability to perform the behavior). It captures beliefs in one's capability to execute behaviors despite obstacles.

Flashcard 58: Which term describes changing attitudes to match behavior to reduce cognitive dissonance?

Answer: Attitude change (dissonance reduction). Adjusting attitudes to align with actions reduces the tension from cognitive inconsistency.

Flashcard 59: What are the three determinants of intention in the theory of planned behavior?

Answer: Attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. These elements collectively form intentions that predict volitional behaviors in TPB.

Flashcard 60: What does the norm of reciprocity predict after someone gives you a favor?

Answer: You feel obligated to return the favor. Social norm creates pressure to reciprocate kindness or gifts.

Flashcard 61: What is the self-perception theory explanation for attitude change?

Answer: People infer attitudes by observing their own behavior. This theory posits that individuals deduce internal states from external behaviors in context.

Flashcard 62: What is the definition of an attitude in social psychology?

Answer: A learned evaluation of an object, person, or idea. Attitudes represent enduring evaluations formed through experience or socialization toward various stimuli.

Flashcard 63: Which HBM construct refers to belief about the likelihood of getting a condition?

Answer: Perceived susceptibility. This belief heightens motivation for health behaviors by personalizing risk assessment.

Flashcard 64: What is cognitive dissonance in attitude change theory?

Answer: Psychological discomfort from inconsistent cognitions or behavior-attitude mismatch. Tension arises when beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors conflict.