SOCIAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

Social and developmental psychology



Social and developmental psychology

Part A:

Introduction

Attitudes are learned predispositions regarded as having an influence and consisting in response to certain objects, people or groups. Attitudes are usually considered as products of socialization and therefore as something changeable.

From a psychosocial standpoint, the attitude is linked to a personal role to play spontaneously, without forethought. From this point of view, one can speak of latent attitude, or mood, when it is based on opinions and beliefs systematized precedes the problem or the issues brought to act as a specific behaviour. It refers to the structure in which deep personal affection components have emerged early life experiences: in this sense it is scary to live.

Attitudinal Change

A person's behaviour toward others is often corresponds to their attitudes towards them, research on how attitudes are formed, how they are organized in the mind and how to change has been considered very important theoretical and practical. The finding that attitudes follow behaviour, and vice versa, arises from the assumption, widely demonstrated that individuals want to preserve logical consistency in their views about themselves and their environment. Some theories of cognitive consistency have become important in the psycho-sociological thought, emphasizing the idea that individuals prefer to think that their actions are consistent with their beliefs, and if perceived inconsistency between (cognitive dissonance) try to reduce it ( logically, changing beliefs rather than actions) (Hogg & Vaughan, 2008, 188).

Through empirical research, social psychologists try to understand the conditions under which people find the dissonance and which try to reduce it by changing basic attitudes. Studies supporting the dissonance theory predict an individual's attitudes toward a social group may be modified if it is induced to change their behaviour toward the group, the change of attitudes is that the individual efforts to make their ideas on this group match the way he has behaved with its members (Coolican, 1994, p. 78).

During the development of behaviour, attitude effectively exercised with an intensity variable, a regulatory action on the orientation of the body and on changes involving both among the elements of this body, and between it and the environment valued. Attitude can therefore upgrade and sustain the performance it deserves. There are four particular records:

A variable inferred, i.e., not directly observed or observable.

A preparation conducive to action, more lasting motivation and more or less general character: the conservative approach.

A bipolar affective charged: an attitude is always a pro and against.

Finally, attitudes are acquired and are susceptible to the effects of external influences...

One can speak of attitude of the authorities: Provisions that drive groups, we within the groups and whole societies to respond commonly to behave a certain way and assume particular social functions (Hogg & Vaughan, 2008, 191). You could define these collective attitudes as joint settings (Gestalt) social, explaining simultaneously minded acts of preference and aversion, predispositions to certain behaviours and reactions and tendencies to ensure certain functions.

Method

Changes in attitudes, either in level or direction, require valid measurement techniques, established and ...