2: Changing Beliefs, Attitudes and Behavior
- Page ID
- 353688
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)- 2.1: Challenging Stasis
- This page discusses a California survey revealing that 75% of high school students admit to cheating, with 66% considering it acceptable for grades. It highlights a behavioral shift where cheating is deemed wrong only if detected, influenced by parental pressure and college acceptance. The page emphasizes the importance of understanding the transition from beliefs to attitudes and behaviors to effectively address cheating and promote persuasive change in students' perspectives.
- 2.2: Beliefs
- This page discusses beliefs as information gathered from experiences, measurable on a true-false or probability scale. It differentiates between absolute and uncertain beliefs and highlights that people often hold specific beliefs about college education. Furthermore, it notes the varying salience of beliefs, where personal academic performance is regarded as more significant than information about others.
- 2.3: Attitudes
- This page discusses how attitudes are formed through clusters of beliefs, influencing our preferences and behaviors, such as educational and dietary choices. Positive attitudes stem from favorable beliefs, while negative attitudes arise from unfavorable ones. Attitudes are learned and can change, though they often resist alteration.
- 2.4: Values
- This page discusses the nature of values as enduring beliefs about what is good or important, often resistant to change and shared across generations. Psychologist Milton Rokeach identifies terminal values (lifelong goals) and instrumental values (day-to-day principles). Values guide decisions and actions, are viewed as absolute, and are essential for cultural survival. Unlike beliefs, values prompt strong commitments and categorize experiences as good or bad.
- 2.5: Value Systems
- This page discusses value systems, which are prioritized individual values influencing decision-making, including examples from moral and religious contexts. It emphasizes the necessity of resolving value conflicts to form personal value systems. Gene Autry's Cowboy Code exemplifies how specific values like integrity, respect, and patriotism can shape behavior and serve as a positive model for individuals, illustrating the broader impact of such codes on life choices.
- 2.6: How Are Values Learned?
- This page outlines four methods of learning values from "Values Clarification: A Handbook of Practical Strategies for Teachers and Students": Moralizing, Modeling, Experimenting, and Clarification. It emphasizes how our value systems shape the acceptance or rejection of new beliefs, using George Washington Carver's eight rules for living as an example.
- 2.7: Elaboration Likelihood Model
- This page discusses the Maslow Targeting approach, which tailors communication to audience needs using the Elaboration Likelihood Model. It outlines two persuasion routes: the Central Route, which fosters deep engagement and lasting attitude changes through strong arguments, and the Peripheral Route, which depends on superficial cues.
- 2.8: Theory of Planned Behavior
- This page covers the influence of persuasion on voluntary behavior through the Theory of Reasoned Action and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), highlighting key components such as attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. It emphasizes that while intentions generally predict behavior, various factors impact this relationship, including emotional anticipation and past habits.
- 2.9: Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior
- A study using the Theory of Planned Behavior identifies key factors that influence students' intent to volunteer, including attitudes and perceived behavioral control. This page discusses the issue of loneliness among university students and its effects on social adjustment and belonging. It suggests volunteering as a way to enhance community connectedness and alleviate loneliness.
- 2.10: Changing Attitude and Stasis
- This page discusses the necessity for critical thinkers to challenge comfort zones to induce attitude change, driven by significant information. Rieke and Sillars highlight that attitude shifts are often achieved by rearranging existing values rather than introducing new ones. Successful persuasion hinges on open-mindedness, active listening, and understanding diverse beliefs, which can strengthen argumentative strategies.
- 2.11: Resisting Change
- This page explores the conflict between our inherent resistance to change and the need for critical thinking. It emphasizes that while we prefer familiar beliefs, critical thinking fosters openness to new ideas. To persuade others, it's important to create discomfort in their current beliefs, which can result in cognitive dissonance—a state of tension that may lead to resistance to change for the sake of comfort.
- 2.12: Cognitive Dissonance
- This page explores Leon Festinger's Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, detailing how individuals manage discomfort from conflicting beliefs. It describes methods to restore cognitive consonance, including changing beliefs or introducing new ones, and emphasizes strategies like denial and bolstering. The text highlights the tendency for humans to resist altering their beliefs, often favoring comfort over confronting difficult truths, which carries important implications for persuasive communication.
- 2.13: The Focus of this Chapter
- This page emphasizes the importance of understanding the audience's needs, values, beliefs, and attitudes for effective argumentation. It discusses the relationship between these elements and behavior while stressing the need to disrupt the audience's existing stasis to encourage new viewpoints. The chapter also highlights the necessity of identifying and targeting the audience's specific needs to enhance persuasive appeals.