FACTORS INFLUENCING ATTITUDE FORMATIONClassical Conditioning

Operant Condition

Modeling

Repeated Exposure

Attitudes are FORMED• We are not born with particular attitudes towards school,

studying, sport, drugs, religion, global warming, personal relationships, political parties, aliens, dirty jokes, and so on.

• Attitudes are formed, usually over a long period of time, through the process of learning.

CLASSICAL CONDITIONINGTV Advertisements

Classical conditioning

• A simple form of learning which occurs through repeated association of two different stimuli.

• A stimulus is an event which may trigger a response.

• Advertisers often use classical conditioning in an attempt to get consumers to associate a product or service with a particular object or event.

OPERANT CONDITIONING

Operant conditioning • Is a kind of learning which is based on the assumption

that we tend to repeat behaviour which has a desirable consequence or result (for example, a reward), and tend not to repeat behaviour which has an undesirable consequence or result (for example, punishment).

• The concept of reinforcement is very important in the process of learning through operant conditioning.

• For example, a reward such as praise, acknowledgement, a gift or money can strengthen a response made by a person.

• When an appropriate reward is consistently given for a behaviour then it is likely that the behaviour will occur more frequently in the future

MODELING

Modeling• We often modify or adopt attitudes by observing other people, particularly

people close to us and people who we respect and admire.

• This type of learning is called modeling, or observational learning. Modeling occurs when someone uses observation of another person's actions and their consequences to guide their future thoughts, feelings or behaviour.

• The person being observed is referred to as a model.

REPEATED EXPOSURE

Repeated exposure• Attitudes can also form through repeated exposure — by

simply being exposed to an object, person, group, event or issue repeatedly.

• Experience may be either direct personal experience (for example, going bungy jumping) or indirect personal experience (for example, hearing about bungy jumping).

• Research findings indicate that if we are exposed to an object, person, group, event or issue repeatedly, we can develop a positive attitude towards it.

The Mere Exposure Effect• Furthermore, it has been proposed that the positive

attitude develops regardless of whether or not there is a reward, motive or any sort of reason for doing so.

Learning Activity • Learning Activity 8.8 on pg 337