Attitude change

Definition

Attitude change refers to the modification of an individual's evaluative response toward a person, object, or idea. This shift can happen through various means, including persuasive communication, social influences, or personal experiences. Understanding attitude change is crucial because it plays a vital role in shaping behaviors and decisions, particularly in media contexts where exposure to certain messages can alter viewers' beliefs and feelings.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Attitude change can result from direct experiences with a subject or indirect exposure through media, such as advertisements or news stories.
2. The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) suggests there are two routes to persuasion: the central route, which involves careful consideration of information, and the peripheral route, which relies on superficial cues.
3. Media can serve as a powerful tool for attitude change by framing issues in specific ways that influence how audiences perceive and evaluate them.
4. Attitude change is often more likely to occur when the individual feels a personal connection or relevance to the message being presented.
5. Long-term attitude change typically requires reinforcement over time rather than a single exposure to persuasive messages.

Review Questions

• How does cognitive dissonance relate to attitude change in the context of media messages?
  • Cognitive dissonance plays a significant role in attitude change by highlighting how individuals may alter their beliefs when confronted with conflicting information. For instance, if a person who values health is exposed to media promoting unhealthy food options, they may experience discomfort. To resolve this dissonance, they might change their attitude toward healthy eating by justifying unhealthy choices or adopting a more favorable view of healthy alternatives. This illustrates how media can trigger changes in attitudes by creating cognitive conflict.
• Discuss the importance of the Elaboration Likelihood Model in understanding how media influences attitude change.
  • The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) is crucial for understanding how media influences attitude change because it outlines two distinct pathways of persuasion. The central route involves deep processing of the information presented, leading to stronger and more lasting attitude changes. In contrast, the peripheral route relies on superficial cues like attractiveness or celebrity endorsements. By recognizing these pathways, researchers can better comprehend how different media strategies can effectively induce attitude changes among audiences depending on their motivation and ability to process information.
• Evaluate how social norms can impact attitude change when individuals are exposed to media portrayals of specific behaviors.
  • Social norms significantly impact attitude change as individuals often adjust their beliefs and behaviors based on what they perceive as acceptable within their social circles. When media portrays certain behaviors as normative—such as drinking alcohol or using social media frequently—it can lead audiences to adopt similar attitudes towards those behaviors. This evaluation highlights that media not only reflects societal standards but also actively shapes them, leading to widespread shifts in public attitudes as people strive to align their views with perceived norms.

Related terms

Cognitive Dissonance: A psychological theory that suggests individuals experience discomfort when holding conflicting beliefs or attitudes, leading them to change one of the attitudes to reduce the dissonance.

Persuasion: The process of influencing someone's beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors through communication and argumentation.

Social Norms: The implicit or explicit rules that govern behavior within a group, which can significantly influence individual attitudes and lead to attitude change.