Attitudes have been a central topic in social psychology from its early beginnings. But what exactly are attitudes, where do they come from, and how can they be modified? The overall aim of Attitudes and Attitude Change is to provide students with a comprehensive and accessible introduction to these basic issues in the psychological study of attitudes.
In four parts, readers learn about how attitudes can be measured, how attitudes are shaped in the course of life, how they are changed by other people, and finally, how attitudes in turn affect our thoughts and behavior. This completely revised and updated second edition covers many recent developments and reports cutting-edge research while also addressing the classic findings and theories that advanced the field. In addition to integrating the newly emerged topics of implicit attitudes and recent models regarding the coexistence of explicit and implicit attitudes, this edition also adds chapters on social influence and resistance to persuasion.
This comprehensive and user-friendly book carefully balances theoretical underpinnings and empirical findings with applied examples to enable readers to use the insights of attitude research for practical applications. Critical discussions also instigate readers to develop their own thinking on key topics.
1: What is an attitude and why is it important? PART I. Gateways to our attitudes 2: Asking for attitudes – not that simple after all 3: Beyond asking for attitudes: From indirect measures to implicit attitudes Part II. The origins of our attitudes 4: From incidental sensations and needs to attitudes 5: Attitude conditioning: How objects become linked with valence 6: Malleable attitudes: Between stored representations and context-dependent constructions 7: Attitudes – a question of good balance Part III. The social nature of attitude change 8: Persuasion – Making others want what you want them to like! 9: Social Influence on our attitudes 10: Resistance: The stubborn receivers – and how to persuade them PART IV. Consequences of our attitudes 11: The world is not what it used to be - Attitude influences on information processing 12: Do attitudes predict behavior? 13: Which attitudes predict behavior and when? PART V: Epilogue