A predisposition or a tendency to respond positively or negatively towards a certain idea, object, person, or situation. Attitude influences an individual'schoice of action, and responses to challenges, incentives, and rewards (together called stimuli).
Four major components of attitude are
(1) Affective: emotions or feelings. (2) Cognitive: belief or opinions held consciously. (3) Conative: inclination for action. (4) Evaluative: positive or negative response to stimuli
Researchers also suggest that there are several different components that make up attitudes.
1. An Emotional Component: How the object, person, issue or event makes you feel.
2. A Cognitive Component: Your thoughts and beliefs about the subject.
3. A Behavioral Component: How the attitude influences your behavior.
Attitudes can also be explicit and implicit. Explicit attitudes are those that we are consciously aware of and that clearly influence our behaviors and beliefs. Implicit attitudes are unconscious, but still have an effect on our beliefs and behaviors.
Attitudes form directly as a result of experience. They may emerge due to direct personal experience, or they may result from observation. Social roles and social norms can have a strong influence on attitudes. Social roles relate to how people are expected to behave in a particular role or context. Social norms involve society's rules for what behaviors are considered appropriate.
Attitudes can be learned in a variety of ways. Consider how advertisers use classical conditioning to influence your attitude toward a particular product. In a television commercial, you see young, beautiful people having fun in on a tropical beach while enjoying a sport drink. This attractive and appealing imagery causes you to develop a positive association with this particular beverage.
Attitude Change
While attitudes can have a powerful effect on behavior, they are not set in stone. The same influences that lead to attitude