In the recent years, extensive research has been going on to investigate attitudes and social cognition. From a psychological perspective, these two aspects are of paramount significance to humans because they explain how individuals view the world and life events. It is apparent that individuals possess diverse opinions over different issues, and they express their attitudes on day-to-day life. Ideally, attitudes exhibit behavioral, cognitive and affective elements; thus attitudes determine the way people make choices, as well as determining the way people live. However, the ways attitudes are formed vary significantly so their expressions are relatively divergent. In theory, attitudes exist in two distinct forms: explicit attitudes and implicit attitudes. Therefore, it is logical to understand how these two levels of attitudes are formed.
It is apparent that these attitudes have been investigated to design appropriate measures, although implicit attitudes seem to have attracted immense focus in the recent years. Explicit attitudes occur at the conscious level; thus they exert intense effects on decisions and behavior. This is why they can be described as deliberately formed attitudes, and they are characterized by the ease in self-reporting. On the other hand, implicit attitudes occur at an unconscious level. These attitudes are formed involuntarily because they lack conscious access; thus their formation cannot be controlled. However, it is worth noting that implicit attitudes have a significant influence on behavior and decisions.
Despite the extensive research on attitudes, processes that guide the formation and operation of both explicit and implicit attitudes have not yet been unraveled. Therefore, this essay will provide an overview of explicit and implicit attitudes. It will compare and contrast explicit and implicit attitudes, and explain reasons for their weak correlation.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Implicit and Explicit Attitudes Define Human Behavior
- Introduction
- Attitudes and Social Cognition
- Explicit and Implicit Attitudes
- Dimensions of Attitudes
- Strength
- Ambivalence
- Accessibility
- Comparison and Contrast of Explicit and Implicit Attitudes
- Controllability
- Reasoning Systems
- Intentionality
- Measures of Explicit and Implicit Attitudes
- Correlation of Explicit and Implicit Measures
- Theoretical Perspectives
- Structural Fit Hypothesis
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay provides a comprehensive overview of explicit and implicit attitudes, comparing and contrasting their characteristics and exploring the reasons for their weak correlation. It aims to shed light on the different ways in which these two levels of attitudes are formed, operate, and influence human behavior.
- The nature and characteristics of explicit and implicit attitudes
- The influence of explicit and implicit attitudes on behavior and decision-making
- The different reasoning systems underlying explicit and implicit attitude formation
- The weak correlation between measures of explicit and implicit attitudes
- Theoretical perspectives on the relationship between explicit and implicit attitudes
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The essay begins by introducing the concepts of explicit and implicit attitudes, highlighting their distinct characteristics and influence on human behavior. It then delves into the dimensions of attitudes, exploring their strength, ambivalence, and accessibility.
The essay then compares and contrasts explicit and implicit attitudes, focusing on their controllability, reasoning systems, and intentionality. It explores how these attitudes are formed through different learning processes and reasoning mechanisms, emphasizing the role of fast-learning and slow-learning systems.
The essay also examines the measures of explicit and implicit attitudes, highlighting their weak correlation and exploring theoretical perspectives explaining this phenomenon. It discusses the different representations of attitudes, the influence of explicit and implicit measures on responses, and the structural fit hypothesis.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The essay focuses on the concepts of explicit and implicit attitudes, their formation, operation, and influence on behavior. Key terms include: explicit attitudes, implicit attitudes, controllability, reasoning systems, intentionality, fast-learning, slow-learning, measures, correlation, theoretical perspectives, and structural fit.
- Quote paper
- Patrick Kimuyu (Author), 2018, Implicit and Explicit Attitudes Define Human Behavior, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/421405
