PSYC10004 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Contingency Theory, Leon Festinger, Group Cohesiveness
29 Jun 2018
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PSYC10004 Mind, Brain & Behaviour 2
LECTURE 13 (5.1) – Social Psychology 4
Cultural processes (cultural differences in action & thought)
Intergroup processes
oPrejudice; intergroup conflict
Group processes
oNorms; group performance; leadership
Interpersonal processes
oInterpersonal attraction; close relationships
Individual processes
oPerson perception; self-attitudes
Attitudes
Learned predisposition to respond in a consistently favourable or unfavourable
manner with respect to a given object
Attitude structure
oHow components of attitudes are related to each other (inter-attitudinal)
oTripartite model
Components —> Antecedents
Cognitive —> Social learning
Affective —> Classical learning
Behaviour —> Operant learning
Attitude functions
oWhat attitudes do
oKnowledge function: to figure out what an object is like
oUtilitarian function: as a means to attaining a specific goal (gaining rewards
& avoiding punishments)
oSelf-esteem maintenance function: to protect one’s self-esteem
oSocial identity functions: to express one’s values and identifying them with
the group that endorses them
Attitude change
Measurement techniques have been & are being developed
Attitude-behaviour relationship was assumed to exist
oLa Piere (1934) found attitudes don’t predict behaviour well
When do attitudes predict behaviour?
oTheory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein & Ajzen)
Intention to perform a specific behaviour is the best predictor of the
behaviour, which is under volitional control
1
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PSYC10004 Mind, Brain & Behaviour 2
Intention to perform a behaviour is determined by attitudes towards the
behaviour and subjective norms about the behaviour
Attitudes towards behaviour determined by underlying beliefs about
consequences of the behaviour
Subjective norms about behaviour are determined by beliefs about what your
significant others think you should do
Some behaviours aren’t under volitional control
Behavioural control determined by the availability of resources and
opportunities
oAttitude Accessibility Theory (Fazio)
Systematic vs superficial processes
Systematic: Effortful, uses cognitive resources
oCan become automatic with exercise
Superficial: Effortless, doesn’t tax cognitive resources
Attitudes are memory representations of evaluation associated with the
attitude object
Attitudes tend to be stronger when:
Formed based on direct experience by interacting with the attitude
object directly
One has a vested interest
Attitudes expressed repeatedly AND
Attitudes expressed recently
In order for general attitudes to guide a specific behaviour, the attitudes must
be accessible and relevant
Specific or general behaviour
Continuum of specificity is determined by act, object, context and time
LECTURE 14 (5.2) – Social Psychology 5
Individual level strategy of attitude change
Have people perform a behaviour congruent with a hoped-for attitude
Behaviour changes attitudes
4 combinations
oNon-voluntary behaviour (incongruent)
Little change of attitudes expected
Extreme: demanded to do something you don’t want at gun point
Mild: introduce a law to do something you don’t want, with threat of
punishment
oNon-voluntary behaviour (congruent)
change of attitudes or even rebound expected
E.g. Told to clean up mess you’re about to - reactance theory
oVoluntary behaviour (congruent)
One’s own behaviour used as info to strengthen one’s attitudes
Self-perception theory
oVoluntary behaviour (incongruent)
2
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Document Summary
Cultural processes (cultural differences in action & thought) o o o o. Learned predisposition to respond in a consistently favourable or unfavourable manner with respect to a given object. How components of attitudes are related to each other (inter-attitudinal) Attitude functions: what attitudes do o o o o. Knowledge function: to figure out what an object is like. Utilitarian function: as a means to attaining a specific goal (gaining rewards. Social identity functions: to express one"s values and identifying them with the group that endorses them o o. Measurement techniques have been & are being developed. La piere (1934) found attitudes don"t predict behaviour well. Intention to perform a specific behaviour is the best predictor of the behaviour, which is under volitional control. Intention to perform a behaviour is determined by attitudes towards the behaviour and subjective norms about the behaviour. Attitudes towards behaviour determined by underlying beliefs about consequences of the behaviour.
