Social cognition - psychology of attitudes flashcards

All 30 cards

1. Card 1

   Define what an attitude is according to Eagly & Chaiken (1998).

   An attitude is defined as a psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavor. This definition highlights the evaluative component inherent in attitudes.

2. Card 2

   How do attitudes function in terms of knowledge organization?

   Attitudes facilitate adaptation to the environment by helping individuals structure and interpret information. In this sense, an attitude is similar to a cognitive schema, guiding how people perceive and process their surroundings.

3. Card 3

   Explain the utilitarian function of attitudes.

   The utilitarian function of attitudes means that they guide approach and avoidance behaviors. If something is evaluated as good, an individual will tend to approach it, whereas if it is evaluated as bad, they will tend to avoid it.

4. Card 4

   What higher psychological needs do attitudes serve, beyond knowledge organization?

   Attitudes serve higher psychological needs by facilitating the expression of core personal values and helping individuals maintain and protect their self-esteem. They also contribute to social adjustment, assisting individuals in fitting into social groups and norms.

5. Card 5

   Name three common explicit assessment techniques used for measuring attitudes.

   Three common explicit assessment techniques for measuring attitudes are Thurstone scaling, Likert scaling, and the semantic differential. These methods involve directly asking individuals about their attitudes.

6. Card 6

   Describe the initial steps in constructing a Thurstone's Equal Appearing Interval Scale.

   The initial steps involve assembling a large pool of statements that express varying degrees of favorability towards an attitude object. These statements are then presented to a group of judges who rate them, and ambiguous or irrelevant items are removed.

7. Card 7

   How is a respondent's attitude score calculated using Thurstone's method?

   A respondent's attitude score is calculated as the average of the scale values of the statements they endorse. This means that each statement has a pre-determined favorability score, and the respondent's overall attitude is an average of the scores of the statements they agree with.

8. Card 8

   What are the main criticisms or drawbacks of Thurstone's method for attitude measurement?

   Thurstone's method is criticized for being time-consuming and cumbersome to construct. Additionally, it is susceptible to systematic bias because the judges' own attitudes can influence the item selection and scaling process.

9. Card 9

   Outline the procedure for constructing a Likert Scale.

   The procedure involves writing a large number of belief statements related to the attitude object. These items are presented in a multiple-choice format, typically a 5-point or 7-point scale, where respondents indicate their agreement or disagreement. Neutral or ambiguous items are subsequently eliminated using item analysis.

10. Card 10

    How does Likert scaling differ from Thurstone scaling in terms of item presentation to respondents?

    In Likert scaling, respondents choose an alternative (e.g., 'Strongly Agree' to 'Strongly Disagree') that best represents their agreement with each statement. In contrast, Thurstone scaling involves respondents endorsing statements, and their score is the average of the pre-determined scale values of those endorsed statements.

11. Card 11

    Why is attitude research considered important in social psychology?

    Attitude research is important because it serves two primary functions: knowledge organization and serving higher psychological needs. It helps us understand how people structure their world and fulfill deeper personal and social requirements.

12. Card 12

    How do attitudes contribute to social adjustment?

    Attitudes contribute to social adjustment by helping individuals fit into social groups and norms. By holding attitudes consistent with their social environment, individuals can better integrate and function within their communities.

13. Card 13

    What is the role of judges in Thurstone's Equal Appearing Interval Scale?

    In Thurstone's scale, judges are presented with a large pool of statements and rate them based on their degree of favorability towards the attitude object. They also identify and help remove ambiguous or irrelevant statements, ensuring the quality of the final items.

14. Card 14

    Why is 'knowledge organisation' considered a primary function of attitudes?

    Knowledge organisation is a primary function because attitudes help individuals adapt to their environment by structuring and interpreting information. They act as cognitive schemas, simplifying complex information and guiding understanding.

15. Card 15

    How does the concept of an attitude relate to a cognitive schema?

    An attitude is similar to a cognitive schema in that both help to structure and interpret information. Attitudes provide a framework for evaluating entities, much like schemas provide a framework for organizing knowledge and experiences.

16. Card 16

    What is the purpose of item analysis in Likert scaling?

    The purpose of item analysis in Likert scaling is to eliminate neutral or ambiguous items. This process helps to improve the overall reliability of the scale by ensuring that only clear and relevant statements are included.

17. Card 17

    Give an example of a statement that might be used in a Likert scale for blood donation, and indicate the typical response format.

    An example statement could be: 'Donating blood would give me a sense of satisfaction.' The typical response format would be a 5-point or 7-point scale, such as '1=Strongly Disagree' to '5=Strongly Agree'.

18. Card 18

    How do attitudes help individuals express core personal values?

    Attitudes help individuals express core personal values by providing a means to evaluate entities in a way that aligns with their deeply held beliefs. This function allows people to demonstrate what is important to them through their evaluations.

19. Card 19

    What does Allport (1935) suggest about the concept of attitudes in social psychology?

    Allport (1935) suggests that attitudes are 'probably the most distinctive and indispensable concept in contemporary social psychology.' This highlights the fundamental and central role attitudes play in understanding human social behavior.

20. Card 20

    Distinguish between the knowledge organization and utilitarian functions of attitudes.

    The knowledge organization function of attitudes helps individuals structure and interpret information to adapt to their environment, acting like a cognitive schema. The utilitarian function, however, directly guides approach and avoidance behaviors based on the evaluation of an entity as good or bad.

21. Card 21

    Why might a Thurstone scale be considered less practical than a Likert scale for general use?

    A Thurstone scale might be considered less practical due to its time-consuming and cumbersome construction process, which involves multiple stages of judge ratings. Likert scales are generally simpler and quicker to develop and administer.

22. Card 22

    How do attitudes contribute to maintaining and protecting self-esteem?

    Attitudes contribute to maintaining and protecting self-esteem by allowing individuals to hold evaluations that support a positive self-image. For instance, having positive attitudes towards groups one belongs to can bolster one's sense of self-worth.

23. Card 23

    What is the significance of the 'degree of favor or disfavor' in the definition of an attitude?

    The 'degree of favor or disfavor' signifies that attitudes are not merely binary (good/bad) but exist on a continuum of evaluation. This allows for nuanced psychological tendencies towards an entity, reflecting varying levels of positivity or negativity.

24. Card 24

    In the context of Thurstone scaling for blood donation, what might a statement with a scale value of '6+' imply?

    A statement with a scale value of '6+' (e.g., 'Generous' or 'Useful') implies a strong degree of favorability towards blood donation. This indicates that judges rated this statement as highly positive, reflecting a very favorable attitude.

25. Card 25

    Why is it important for attitude measurements to be explicit?

    Explicit attitude measurements are important because they directly ask individuals about their evaluations, providing conscious and self-reported data. This allows researchers to understand individuals' stated beliefs and preferences, which can then be correlated with their behaviors.

26. Card 26

    How does Likert scaling work to measure attitudes?

    Likert scaling involves presenting respondents with a series of belief statements related to an attitude object. They then choose an option on a multiple-choice scale, typically 5-point or 7-point (e.g., Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree), that best reflects their agreement or disagreement. Neutral or ambiguous items are later removed through item analysis to enhance reliability.

27. Card 27

    What is the primary purpose of the Implicit Attitude Test (IAT)?

    The primary purpose of the IAT is to assess attitudes without directly asking participants, thereby circumventing conscious control and social desirability biases. It measures the strength of association between a target concept and evaluative attributes by analyzing response latencies.

28. Card 28

    Distinguish between the ease of construction for Thurstone's method and Likert scaling.

    Thurstone's method is considered time-consuming and cumbersome to construct due to the extensive judge-based item selection and scaling process. In contrast, Likert scaling is quicker to implement, although it still requires considerable pilot work for item selection and refinement.

29. Card 29

    How does the Semantic Differential method measure attitudes?

    The Semantic Differential method measures attitudes by presenting bipolar adjectives (e.g., Good-Bad, Wise-Foolish) separated by typically seven categories. Respondents rate an attitude object along these scales, indicating their perception of the object's position between the two opposing adjectives.

30. Card 30

    Why might the Implicit Attitude Test (IAT) be preferred over explicit measures for socially sensitive topics?

    The IAT might be preferred for socially sensitive topics because it bypasses conscious control and social desirability biases inherent in explicit measures. While explicit measures generally predict outcomes better, their predictive power for socially sensitive topics like prejudice is impaired, whereas implicit measures show improvement in such contexts.

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