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Attitude

Many of us use this term so frequently that many times I feel it is the most misrepresented word that’s been ever used. How many of us really use it in the sense that the word means. I wished to clear the air today with my blog on Attitude and its formation and in a small way help you all to use the word in the right sense in the right context henceforth... What is Attitude?  Theoretically speaking, According to Gordon Allport “A mental and neural state of readiness organized through experience exerting a direct influence on the individual response”.  Thus attitudes are evaluative statements –either favourable or unfavourable concerning objects, people or events. When I say “I Like my Job” I am expressing my attitude about work. When a person says that he likes or dislikes something he expresses an attitude. Thus it could be said that 1. Attitudes are related to feelings and beliefs of people. 2. Attitude responds to persons, objects or events. 3. Attitude affects behaviour positively or negatively. Attitude undergoes changes.

Some of the reasons as to why we like and dislike objects, people or events could be attributed to the following sources. One’s direct Personal Experience to the attitudinal object serves as a powerful source to form attitude. Researches have shown that attitudes derived out of direct experience are powerful, stronger, durable and more difficult to change. Attitudes are learnt from others otherwise known as Social Learning - learning that takes place from parents, teachers, superiors, environment etc. Association – An individual’s association with others also shapes one’s attitude about him/her.

If attitude formation is to be compartmentalised, we can broadly divide it into three components.

1.       Cognitive or Informational component: based on ideas, beliefs, values and information received.

2.       Affective or Emotional Component: Based on feelings of likes and dislikes, Positive or negative feelings.

3.       Behavioural Component: The tendency to behave in a particular fashion towards the attitudinal object.

Thus it could be said that attitude affect behaviour, attitude is a psychological phenomena which cannot be observed, Attitude are acquired and can be changed, Attitude are formed in the process of socialisation and could be learnt. A bigger question that many of us would be asking can attitude be changed. Yes, it can be changed by providing new information on the attitudinal object. It could be changed through use of fear, though it doesn’t yield result in the long run yet as short term method could bring about change in attitude. By influencing people attitude could be changed. And finally through training, learning in group attitude could be changed.