Category: Attitudes

Values Definition The term value has two related yet distinct meanings. The value of an object or activity is what the object or activity is worth to a person or community; this is the economic or decision-making meaning of value. In its social-psychological meaning, by contrast, a value is an abstract, desirable end state that… Continue reading Values

Polarization Processes Definition Like the North Pole and the South Pole or the opposite ends of a magnet, poles represent extreme end-points, and polarization indicates movement toward those extremes. In psychological terms, polarization processes describe movement in individuals’ views toward opposite extremes. For example, imagine a group of individuals that includes both moderate supporters and… Continue reading Polarization Processes

Motivated Reasoning Definition Motivated reasoning is a form of reasoning in which people access, construct, and evaluate arguments in a biased fashion to arrive at or endorse a preferred conclusion. The term motivated in motivated reasoning refers to the fact that people use reasoning strategies that allow them to draw the conclusions they want to… Continue reading Motivated Reasoning

Sometimes people’s attitudes predict their behavior and sometimes they don’t. Most people have a posi­tive attitude toward donating money to charity, but they don’t tend to give their hard-earned cash away whenever a charitable organization requests it. Simi­larly, many White individuals harbor a negative preju­dice toward Blacks, but they often treat many Black individuals they… Continue reading MODE Model

Attitudes provide summary assessments that assist in decisions about how to interact with the world. An attitude is an association between a concept and an evaluation—positive or negative, favorable or unfavorable, desirable or undesirable. Attitudes help guide people’s judgment and behavior. Should I approach the bear with the big claws or run away? Should I… Continue reading Implicit Attitudes