4.2 Attitude Formation and Attitude Change
- Syllabus
- 2025
- Topic
- 4.2
- Level
- —
Learning objectives
4.2A—Explain how stereotypes and implicit attitudes contribute to the behaviors and mental processes of prejudice and…Explain how stereotypes and implicit attitudes contribute to the behaviors and mental processes of prejudice and discrimination.• A stereotype is a generalized concept about a group. Stereotypes can help reduce cognitive load when making decisions or judgments. Stereotypes can be the cause and/or result of biased perceptions and experiences and are frequently the basis of prejudiced attitudes and discriminatory behaviors.• Implicit attitudes are those that individuals hold but may be unaware of or may not acknowledge. Research has focused on how implicit attitudes reflect negative evaluations of others, as demonstrated by the just-world phenomenon, out-group homogeneity bias, ingroup bias, or ethnocentrism.4.2B—Explain how belief perseverance and cognitive dissonance apply to attitude formation and changeExplain how belief perseverance and cognitive dissonance apply to attitude formation and change.• Belief perseverance occurs when a belief persists even if evidence suggests it is not accurate. People experiencing belief perseverance may engage in confirmation bias, thereby clinging to an attitude or belief regardless of the evidence for or against it.• Cognitive dissonance refers to the mental discomfort that occurs when actions or attitudes are in conflict. People are motivated to reduce the discomfort by changing either actions or attitudes to be more in line with each other.
From Group Generalizations to Unequal Behavior
| Concept | What it is | Example form |
|---|---|---|
| Stereotype | A generalized concept about a group | Assuming group membership predicts a personal quality |
| Prejudice | A biased attitude or evaluation toward a group | Feeling negatively toward someone because of group membership |
| Discrimination | Behavior that treats people differently on that basis | Denying an opportunity because of group membership |
Stereotypes can reduce cognitive load by supplying a quick group-based judgment, but that shortcut can bias what a person notices and remembers. Biased experience can then reinforce the stereotype, so stereotype and perception can sustain each other. An implicit attitude is an evaluation a person may not recognize or acknowledge; it can still contribute to prejudiced judgments and discriminatory behavior.
| Pattern | Evaluation it encourages |
|---|---|
| Just-world phenomenon | Interpreting outcomes as deserved, even when circumstances matter |
| Out-group homogeneity bias | Seeing members of another group as more alike than they are |
| In-group bias | Favoring one's own group over an out-group |
| Ethnocentrism | Evaluating other cultures through one's own culture as the standard |
A stereotype is a generalized concept, prejudice is an attitude, and discrimination is behavior. They can contribute to one another, but they are not interchangeable, and an implicit attitude is not necessarily one a person openly endorses.
Why Attitudes Persist—or Change
| Process | Trigger | Typical response | Effect on attitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belief perseverance | Evidence suggests a belief is inaccurate | The belief persists; confirmation bias may focus attention on supporting evidence and discount opposing evidence | The attitude resists change |
| Cognitive dissonance | An action and an attitude conflict | Mental discomfort motivates a person to change the action or change the attitude so they align | The attitude or behavior may change |
After repeated evidence contradicts a rumor, continuing to believe it while attending mainly to supportive comments illustrates belief perseverance reinforced by confirmation bias. By contrast, a person who values health but repeatedly chooses an unhealthy action may feel cognitive dissonance and reduce it by changing the action or revising the health attitude.
Confirmation bias is a way of selecting or interpreting evidence; belief perseverance is the continued belief that can result. Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort produced by inconsistency, not simply disagreement with another person, and attitude change is only one possible way to reduce it.