Describe an attitude you currently have that was formed through behavioral influences

The Role of Behavioral Factors on Attitudes/Actions and experiences, as well as the observations of others’ behaviors, can shape the attitudes you hold toward objects, issues, things, or people. One theory that attempts to explain behavioral influences on attitude formation is self-perception theory (Bem, 1972). According to this theory, in situations when an attitude is weak or ambiguous, you may infer your attitude from observing your own behaviors; that is, you rely on cues from your external environment to infer your own attitude, much like an outside observer would. You also may form attitudes through observations of and interactions with others as explained by observational learning and operant conditioning. Consider how behavioral processes such as operant conditioning, observational learning, and self-perception might influence the attitudes you hold. Reflect on how culture and the social environment might influence how these attitudes are formed. Please remember to be respectful of colleagues when posting.

• Describe an attitude you currently have that was formed through behavioral influences.
• Explain how the attitude was formed.
• Describe any cultural or environmental factors that may have influenced the formation of the attitude.
• Support your response with references to the following resources and other scholarly literature.

The Role of Behavioral Factors on Attitudes/Actions References:

Bem, D. (1972). Self-perception theory. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 6, pp. 1-62). New York, NY: Academic Press.

Banaji, M. R., & Heiphetz, L. (2010). Attitudes. In S. T. Fiske, D. T. Gilbert, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), Handbook of social psychology (5th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 370-376). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Handbook of Social Psychology, 5th Edition by S. T. Fiske, D. T. Gilbert, & G. Lindzey (Eds.). Copyright 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. – Books. Reprinted by permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. – Books via the Copyright Clearance Center.

Bem, D. (1972). Self-perception theory. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 6, pp. 1-62). New York, NY: Academic Press.

Self-perception theory by Bem, D., in Advances in experimental social psychology, Vol. 6. Copyright 1972 by Elsevier Science & Technology Books. Reprinted by permission of Elsevier Science & Technology Books via the Copyright Clearance Center.

Chaiken, S., & Baldwin, M. W. (1981). Affective-cognitive consistency and the effect of salient behavioral information on the self-perception of attitudes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 41(1), 1-12.

Insko, C. A. (1965). Verbal reinforcement of attitudes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2(4), 621-623.

Insko, C. A., & Cialdini, R. B. (1969). A test of three interpretations of attitudinal verbal reinforcement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 12(4), 333-341.

Rogoff, B., Paradise, R., Arauz, R. M., Correa-Chavez, M., & Angelillo, C. (2003). Firsthand learning through intent participation. Annual Review of Psychology, 54, 175-203.

Rowe, D. C., Chassin, L., Presson, C., & Sherman, S. J. (1996). Parental smoking and the “epidemic” spread of cigarette smoking. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 26(5), 437-454.