ATTITUDES

• Attitudes cannot be observed directly.

• Attitudes are hidden variables.

• They are reflected on our behavior or they are expressed in

oral terms.
DEFINITION

Attitude is a prejudgement (predisposition) attributed

to an object, a person or an event that ifluence our
feelings and behavior.
COMPONENTS OF
ATTITUDES

• COGNITIVE

• EMOTIONAL(AFFECTIVE)

• BEHAVIORAL
 COMPONENTS OF
ATTITUDES
 (Examples)
This brand product has many functions. (…..)
 Though there are alternative cheaper brands, I do not intend to
buy any other brands but this one. (…..)
 I have confidence in this brand product. (…..)
 This brand product satisfies my expectations. (…..)
 I strongly recommend others to buy this brand product. (…..)
 This brand product lasts long. (…..)
 This brand product has no tested side effects on health. (…..)
 I’m previledged because I’ve been using this brand product for
years. (…..)
ATTITUDE FORMATION

PHYSIOLOGICAL CIRCUMSTANCES
EXPERIENCE

PERSONALITY

SOCIALIZATION

GROUP MEMBERSHIP
SOCIAL STATUS
DIMENSIONS OF
ATTITUDES
• CONTENT: The subject of an attitude

• DIRECTION: Positive or negative

• CHANGE INTERVAL: An attitude may change from

one direction to another

• INTENSITY: How intensive the emotions related to an

attitude object

• TWO WAY EFFECT: An attitude may have both

positive and negative aspects
DIMENSIONS OF
ATTITUDES
• DOMINANCE: The priority of an attitude
over the others

• CENTRALISM: An attitude is interrelated to

others

• COGNITIVE COMPLEXITY: A number of

various information resources cause
compexity

• FLEXIBILITY: The ease of changing an

attitude
WAYS OF CHANGING
ATTITUDES

 CHANGING INTENSITY

 CHANGING DIRECTION
ATTITUDE CHANGE

 PERSUASION AS A STRATEGY FOR

ATTITUDE CHANGE
 COMMUNICATOR
 TARGET
 THE MESSAGE
 SITUATIONAL FACTORS
 LEARNING AS A STRATEGY FOR
ATTITUDE CHANGE
 HEIDER'S BALANCE THEORY
 FESTINGER'S COGNITIVE
DISSONANCE THEORY
 PERSUASION STRATEGY
 COMMUNICATOR
 Being an expert in the area
 Reliable/trustworthy
 Exprience
 Good communication skills
 Being liked or disliked
 Acting in an objective manner
 The presentable look
 PERSUASION STRATEGY
 TARGET
 Openness to change or conservatism
 Perceptual skills
 Flexibility
 The level of information
 The needs and expectations
 Self-esteem
 The use of biases or stereotypes
 Demographic characteristics
 PERSUASION STRATEGY
 THE MESSAGE
 Accurate, clear
 Sufficient information
 Interesting, attractive
 Emotional
 Satisfying a need (need-oriented)
 Based on actual and current sources
 THE SITUATIONAL FACTORS
 Other people
 The physical environment
 Economic, polittical, climatic, social influences
 Time
FESTINGER'S COGNITIVE
DISSONANCE THEORY

 Festinger is the first one who has drawn attention

to the point that behavior also influences attitudes
as well as attitudes influence behavior.
 Dissonance: inconsistencies in between
cognitions, feelings and behavior
 Compliance
 No relation
FESTINGER'S COGNITIVE
DISSONANCE THEORY
The ways of decreasing the dissonance among
cognitions:

The individual alters his behavior.

The individual changes his cognitions (opinion or
point of view).
The individual adds new cognitions in order to
abolish the dissonance.
PRINCIPLES OF ATTITUDE
MEASUREMENT

• HOMOGENEITY
• LINEARITY
• RELIABILITY
• VALIDITY
• LOW COSTS
METHODS OF ATTITUDE
MEASUREMENT
• OBSERVATION
• PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES
• SOCIOMETRY
• ATTITUDE SCALING METHODS
 BOGARDUS (SOCIAL DISTANCE SCALE)
 THURSTONE
 LIKERT
 OSGOOD
• PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES
 SENTENCE COMPLETION
 PICTURE INTERPRETATION
 STORIES
 CARTOONS
SOCIOMETRY(J.L. Moreno)
 SOCIOMETRY

 In-group attitudes and Individual attitudes in a group are

measured.
 Stars
 Pairs
 Isolates
 Cliques
PREPARATION OF A
SCALE
• THE PURPOSE
• THE TYPE OF SCALE
• CHOOSING THE STATEMENTS
• CHOOSING THE TYPE OF RESPONDING
• Open-ended/Closed-ended questions
• Multiple choice questions
• Leading questions
• Demographic questions
• THE ATMOSPHERE
• EVALUATION OF THE SCALE
PREPARATION OF A SCALE: AN
EXAMPLE

 The Purpose: To measure White collar workers’ attitude toward

the job.
 The Type of Scale: 4 point Likert type of scale
 4(completely true), 3(true), 2(wrong), 1(totally wrong)
 Choosing the Statements (Items):
 The task I’m involved is rather boring.
 I gotta a feeling that I gain new competences when I do my
job.
 The task I deal with is challenging.
 What I do on the job requires team work.
 I can use all my potential while I do my job.
PREPARATION OF A SCALE: AN
EXAMPLE

 The Atmosphere of the Application of Scale: The

questionnaire will be delivered to White collar workers in
several companies in service sector. While the questionnaire
forms are delivered, the aim of the study should be
explained clearly to all workers to gain their confidence so
that they will respond truly and honestly without any doubt
that the individual responses are confidental and used for
only research matter. The time the items are responded by
the workers, there should be no one around representing
management so that they answer the items freely and truly.
DIRECTIONS

• According to my first feeling-reactions, I would willingly

admit members of each race (as a class, and not the best I
have known, nor the worst members), to one or more of the
classifications which I have circled.
 To close To my To my To To As Would
kinship club as streeet emplo citizens visitors exclude
by personal as yment hip in only to from my
marriage chums neighbo in my my my country
rs occup country country
ation
Canadians 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Chinese 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

English 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

French 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Germans 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Hindus etc. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
 BOGARDUS
An Example: Individual’s Attitude toward the
Company

I get pleasure and enjoy to be a part of this company.

I would like to be a loyal employee working in this company.
I would like to be one of the employees in this company.
I would work as a part time employee in here.
I wouldn’t mind a friend of mine working in here.
Iwould never work here or would approve anyone I know to
work in here.
THURSTONE SCALE Item
Value
The employees are provided with many promotion 9.1
opportunities.

The employees with good qualifications always 8.3

promote in here.

There are some promotion opportunities in this 7.7

work place but they are not satisfactory.

The promotion opportunity in this work place 6.1

depends on luck and pressure from the top.

it is not worthed to wait for promotion in here as 4.4

the opportunities are very restricted.
Attitude-Scaling Methods
Strongly Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly
agree disagree

5 4 3 2 1

(1) Children bring a husband and wife closer to

each other. *
( 2 ) it is fun showing children how to do things.
*
( 3 ) Children need some of their natural
meanness taken out of the them. *
( 4 ) A mother with young children badly misses
adult company and conversation. *
(5) On balance, children are more of a blessing
than a burden. *
(6) it is often difficult to keep one's temper with a
Child. *
(7) Looking af ter children really demands too
much of me. *
(8) If we could afford to do so, we would prefer
to send our children to a boarding school. *
(9) When things are difficult, children are often a
great source of courage and inspiration. *
(10) If I had my life to live over again, I should
again want to have a children. *
EXAMPLES OF
PROJECTIVE
TECHNIQUES-1
SENTENCE COMPLETION:
 I get frightened...............................on the job.
 I’m relieved...................................on the job.
 Talking to others about your coming
operation…………………………...
 If my manager...................................
 If my job contains the use of complex competencies,
………………………….
EXAMPLES OF
PROJECTIVE
TECHNIQUES-2
 STORIES:
 Jim uses his pocket money to go to the movies, to
concerts or to buy cds and models but he hasn't
collected any money for the future. Jack, on the
other hand, saves as much money as he can
considering his needs in the future but he sacrifices
many of his pleasures now.
 Which of the boys is using his money in a better
way?
 1........Jim

 2……Jack