Attitudes
Define the term attitudes, explain why they are of interest to social psychologists, and distinguish between implicit and explicit attitudes
Attitudes develop through many different forms. Explain the process of classical conditioning and give an example of how this type of learning might influence attitude formation. Include a description for each of the five significant elements that enable this type of learning to occur
Attitudes develop through many different forms. Explain the process of instrumental/operant conditioning and give an example of how this type of learning might influence attitude formation. Include a description for each of the four types of consequences that enable this type of learning to occur
Attitudes develop through many different forms. Explain the process of observational learning and give an example of how this type of learning might influence attitude formation. Explain how social comparison might affect this type of learning
Attitudes
An attitude is a positive, negative, or mixed evaluation of an object expressed at some level of intensity. It is an expression of a favorable or unfavorable evaluation of a person, place, thing, or event. These are fundamental determinants of our perceptions of and actions toward all aspects of our social environment. Attitudes are important because they affect both the way we perceive the world and how we behave. Indeed, over 70 years ago, Gordon Allport asserted that the attitude concept is the most indispensable concept in social psychology. Attitudes generally are categorized into one of two levels: explicit attitudes and implicit attitudes. Explicit attitudes are attitudes that are at the conscious level, are deliberately formed and are easy to self-report. Implicit attitudes are attitudes that are at the unconscious level, are involuntarily formed and are typically unknown to us.