Unit A.1.1 Learn how the attitudes you adopt influence your ability to increase knowledge
Learn how the attitudes you
Learn how the attitudes you
adopt influence your ability to increase knowledge.
Hello
Hello
In the first theme of this initial Module, we would like to first accompany you through a journey of self-reflection. You will be introduced to the concept of «attitude», and more importantly, you will read about the influence that different attitudes have on the way we choose to acquire knowledge and gain skills.
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Have you ever asked yourself what attitudes are?
ideas
values
intentions
beliefs
dispositions
preconceptions
opinions
These are only some of the terms which may come to your mind when thinking about the meaning of “attitudes”. Clearly, attitudes are a not a clear and defined concept, but rather the result of a complex set of elements which coexist within people. They have to do with both subjective elements, and social interactions and influences we receive from the external world.
Psychologists define attitudes as a learned tendency to evaluate things (such as people, events, objects, or issues) in a certain way. These evaluations can be either positive or negative, but also uncertain at times.
Fazio & Williams (1986) argued that attitudes are summary judgements influenced by personality and the group we live in, and are acquired through time.
Eagly and Chaiken (1993) confer that, being a psychological phenomenon, attitudes are invisible. In addition, they are subjective and personal attributes and difficult to measure.
Different models have been proposed by scholars to understand and study attitudes.
The ABC model [1] is one of the most cited. It suggests that attitude has three elements, i.e. Affect, Behaviour, and Cognition. «Affect» refers to the individual’s feelings about an object. «Behaviour» refers to the individual’s intention towards an object. «Cognition» denotes the beliefs an individual has about an object.
It is generally accepted that attitude represents the positive or negative mental and neural readiness of an individual towards a person, place, thing, or event. Its three components can be hence thought of as:
Affective component
(Neural)
(Feelings/Emotions)
Behavioural component
(Readiness)
(Response/Action)
Cognitive component
(Mental)
(Belief/Evaluation)
For example, consider these three components in the case of the attitude of an environmentalist towards recycling. We can assume their attitude will be very positive:
– In terms of affect: They feel happy when they recycle
– In terms of behaviour: They recycle everyday
– In terms of cognition: They believe recycling is the responsible thing to do
This does not mean that all attitudes are equally driven by these three components. Some will be based more on affect, whereas others more on cognition or behaviour. For instance, your attitude towards classical music is probably determined by affect hence your feelings and emotions linked to that music. But your attitude towards showering in the morning might be also linked to the fact you know it is a good hygiene practice and it is healthier.
Therefore, attitudes cannot be understood without considering the interconnection between these three components, which join together to construct a certain attitude about events, people, etc.
It might be useful to think about it as a process with several steps:
Evaluation (our opinion about an object)
Emotional response (liking/disliking)
Actions in response to the object
Because of the interconnection between attitude and behaviour, and because attitude is the result of both internal and external factors, psychological analyses propose that if behaviour is to change, attitude change must come first. Therefore, according to this approach, attitude IS behaviour.
Sociological definitions of attitude however propose a slightly different perspective. Attitude is defined as «a mental position with regard to a fact or state or a feeling or emotion or a feeling or emotion toward a fact or state» (Merrian Webster’s Online Dictionary).
According to these scholars, it might not be necessary to change attitude in order for a certain behaviour to change (e.g. racism or discrimination). So behaviour is the centre of action so to speak, whereas for psychologists attitude is the centre from which behaviour is born [2].
No matter which of the two broad perspectives one adopts, it is pretty clear that attitude and behaviour are linked. This is why attitude is also linked to the kind of knowledge you look for, and the skills you acquire.
The relationship between attitude and knowledge is crucial because it relates the strength of our attitudes. People are generally more knowledgeable about topics that interest them. As a consequence they will tend to hold strong attitudes (either positive or negative) about them.
Similarly, attitudes formed as a consequence of personal experience are usually more strongly held than those formed indirectly (for example, through reading, television, or hear-say).
But why do we need knowledge in the first place? Attitudes provide meaning for life. We need a world which is consistent and stable. This is true because in this way we can predict what is likely to happen, which in turn gives as a sense of being in control of our life.
Therefore, attitudes are functional because they help us mediate between our inner needs and the outside world.
After this introduction about attitude, how would you personally define it?
1.Is attitude behaviour, or not?
2.Can you think of some examples of an attitude process you went through in your life?
3.Can you think of a personal experience where you changed your behaviour WITHOUT necessarily changing your attitude?
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Psychologically, some argue that attitude is behavior because attitudes shape how we act toward objects, events, or people. In this view, attitude leads to behavior. However, sociologists might argue that behavior can change without an attitude change, suggesting that attitude and behavior can be separate. So, it depends on the perspective—psychology tends to view attitude as closely linked to behavior, while sociology might see them as distinct but related.
n example might be your attitude toward teaching methodologies. As a teacher, you may have developed a positive evaluation (opinion) of interactive learning methods (evaluation stage). You might feel strongly in favor of these methods (emotional response), leading you to incorporate them in your classes (actions in response). This demonstrates how your attitude toward interactive teaching likely shaped your teaching behavior.
A possible example could be when you took a leadership role during a crisis at work. You might have preferred a different approach (attitude), but due to circumstances, you acted according to the company’s needs, even if your personal attitude didn’t align with the action. This could highlight how behavior changed, while your underlying attitude may have remained the same.