Attitude and Behavior, Essay Example

Attitude defined as the view that one has towards an object. It can either be positive, negative or neutral views towards a person, behavior or event. From the theory, of planned behavior (Hogg & Terry, 2000, p. 31), it supports that the intentions of performing certain behaviors can be predicted by the attitudes that one has towards the behavior, the subjective norms, and perceives control of behavior. Therefore, the actual behavior varies considerably as a result of the intentions one has towards the behavior together with the perceptions of behavioral control (Hogg & Terry, 2000, p. 67). By assessing one’s beliefs in regards to the consequences arising from behavior and by evaluating these consequences desirability, this determines the attitude towards behavior.

In the cognitive dissonance theory, it suggests that every person has an inner drive for holding all their attitudes and beliefs in harmony so as to avoid dissonance (Hogg & Terry, 2000, p. 7). This is because the dissonance will lead to the situation where there will be conflicting attitudes, behaviors or beliefs, and as a result, individuals end up feeling pain and cause change in one of the attitudes or beliefs (Hogg & Terry, 2000, p. 227). For example, when one forced, by circumstances, to behave in a way they do not do, their attitude towards their behavior may be re-evaluated to reduce dissonance.

In the self perception theory, it says that people decide on their own attitudes and feelings towards a certain behavior from watching how they behave in different situations. This occurs when a person’s cues are so weak or confusing that they put the same person in the same point, as an exterior observer (Hogg & Terry, 2000, p. 72). Potential implications of a person’s behavior that has a negative attitude towards individual or group would be development of feelings such as anger, frustration, hatred, disgust, sadness. Also, the drainage of energy from a person due to the maintenance of the negative attitude experienced. Implicit attitudes are the thoughts, feelings, or actions towards objects arising due to experiences that one may not be aware of, whereas explicit attitudes are the thoughts, feelings, or actions toward people, objects, or concepts that the person is aware of the feelings he or she holds in a certain context.

References

Hogg, M. A & Terry, D. J. (2000). Attitudes, Behavior, and Social Context: The Role of Norms and Group Membership. New York: Routledge.