Class 12 Psychology Chapter 6 Attitude and Social Cognition

Key Concept: Cause and Effect

c) By unjustly blaming a group for problems, leading to negative stereotypes

[Solution Description] Scapegoating contributes to prejudice by irrationally associating blame for societal issues with a particular group, thereby creating negative stereotypes and discriminatory attitudes. These stereotypes can lead to generalized prejudice against that group.

Key Concept: Cultural Norms

b) Learning through cultural norms

[Solution Description] When students learn and adapt attitudes based on shared group activities and cultural norms within the school, it reflects the influence of cultural norms. The emphasis on community and collaboration in such an environment shapes students’ attitudes towards cooperation and belonging.

Key Concept: Face-to-Face vs Indirect Transmission

d) Face-to-face interaction

[Solution Description] Face-to-face communication is generally more effective than indirect methods like radio or television because it allows for immediate feedback and clarification.

Key Concept: Complex Scenario Analysis, Integration with Other Concepts

b) They develop an informed perspective by cross-verifying media claims with first-hand experiences.

[Solution Description] Analyze how exposure to conflicting media narratives can be integrated with personal experiences to form attitudes. Exposure to diverse information may lead to critical evaluation and reassessment of one’s views. Personal experiences provide context that influences how media messages are interpreted.

Key Concept: Balance Theory

b) P may start liking Y to maintain balance.

[Solution Description] Balance theory suggests that people are motivated to maintain consistency in their relationships and attitudes. If person P likes X, and X supports Y, yet P dislikes Y, there will be a motivational push for P to change either their liking of X or Y to restore balance. Since X supports Y, P may start to like Y to achieve a balanced state.

Key Concept: Media and Cognitive Components

c) By making people better informed

[Solution Description] The media can influence the cognitive component of attitudes by providing information that helps individuals form beliefs about certain topics. This process involves the dissemination of facts, data, and other informational content that enhances knowledge and understanding.

Key Concept: Attitude Consistency

b) Attitude strength

[Solution Description] Factors such as attitude strength, awareness, external pressure, and perceived consequences can affect how consistent the behavioural component is with cognitive and affective components.

Key Concept: Critical Evaluation, Advanced Reasoning

a) A history class discussing only the negative aspects of another culture without highlighting contributions or similarities.

[Solution Description] The solution requires evaluating how educational content might unintentionally support existing stereotypes rather than challenge them. One possible scenario is when a curriculum includes uncritical representations or emphasizes differences without context.

Key Concept: Component Identification

d) Genetic

[Solution Description] The components of attitudes include cognitive (thoughts), affective (emotions), and behavioral (actions). “Genetic” does not fall under these categories; it is an influence on attitude formation.

Key Concept: Source Credibility

c) The medical professional will have more influence due to higher credibility.

[Solution Description] According to the syllabus, highly credible sources are more effective in changing attitudes. A medical professional would be considered a more credible source than a celebrity when endorsing a health-related product because they have expertise in the field.

Key Concept: Critical Evaluation, Longitudinal Impact

d) All of the above

[Solution Description] Educational initiatives often focus on changing people’s knowledge base or cognitive aspects of prejudice. However, they may not fully address affective components (emotions) and behavioral manifestations (discrimination). Although individuals may become more enlightened intellectually, deep-rooted emotional responses and habitual discriminatory behaviors can persist. Moreover, social structures that have historically reinforced discrimination might still exist, creating obstacles to change. These factors mean that while education can lower explicit prejudices, implicit biases and systemic issues might continue to influence behavior and societal outcomes over time.

Key Concept: Attitude Formation

c) Genetic predisposition

[Solution Description] Attitude formation is influenced by various factors, including family, school environment, reference groups, and cultural norms. Genetic predisposition is not typically considered an influence on attitude formation.

Key Concept: Mode of Transmission

c) Face-to-face

[Solution Description] The syllabus states that face-to-face communication is typically more effective than indirect methods because it allows for immediate feedback and personal engagement.

Key Concept: Media Influence

d) By launching campaigns highlighting the importance of a balanced diet and regular exercise.

[Solution Description] Media campaigns that effectively communicate the benefits of healthy living, such as balanced diets and regular exercise, can positively influence individuals’ attitudes towards maintaining good health.

Key Concept: Concept Identification

d) Festinger and Carlsmith Experiment

[Solution Description] The Festinger and Carlsmith experiment in 1959 is renowned for demonstrating cognitive dissonance. Participants were asked to perform a dull task and then persuade others that it was interesting, which created dissonance between their actions and beliefs.

Key Concept: Cause and Effect

b) There is increased adaptation to and acceptance of prevailing fashion trends.

[Solution Description] Media influence as a cultural norm can significantly shape an individual’s attitudes by consistently exposing them to certain fashion trends. Over time, this exposure creates a perception of what is desirable or acceptable, thereby affecting attitudes towards those trends.

Key Concept: Source Characteristics

b) Credibility

[Solution Description] Credibility of the source plays a crucial role in influencing attitude change as it affects the perceived reliability and trustworthiness of the message being conveyed. Attractive sources can also influence attitudes but credibility is usually more significant.

Key Concept: Scenario-Based Application

b) They may develop a positive attitude towards completing homework on time.

[Solution Description] Observing peers being praised by an authority figure like a teacher can lead the children to associate homework completion with positive reinforcement, fostering a positive attitude toward timely submission of work.

Key Concept: Extremeness Understanding

d) -5

[Solution Description] Extremeness measures how far an attitude leans toward either end of the spectrum. A rating of -5 on a scale from -5 to 5 represents the most extreme negative attitude possible in this context.

Key Concept: Simple Association

b) Social context and influences

[Solution Description] Social behavior is significantly influenced by social context and influences. This means how individuals act can be shaped by the environment and societal norms they are part of.

Key Concept: Attitude Formation

d) Educational experiences

[Solution Description] The cognitive component of an attitude relates to beliefs, knowledge, and thoughts about a particular subject. Educational experiences are directly related to what we learn and know, thereby influencing our beliefs and understanding regarding different topics. Therefore, educational experiences primarily affect the cognitive aspect of attitudes.

Key Concept: Balance Theory, Media Influence Complexity

c) Students may decrease admiration for T’s environmental practices.

[Solution Description]

To solve this, we need to understand how balance theory applies here: Balance theory suggests individuals prefer harmonious relationships between their attitudes and those they respect. Here, students admire both T and the TV series, creating dissonance due to contrasting views. Applying balance theory:

– Students may adjust attitudes towards the series or T to achieve harmony.

– Considering media’s influential power, changing views about T might be easier given the strong cultural impact of the series. Hence, students could reduce admiration for T’s stance on the environment rather than abandoning the series.

Thus, T’s influence could diminish in students’ minds regarding environmental advocacy.

Key Concept: Message Complexity

c) The audience struggles to comprehend, reducing effectiveness.

[Solution Description] An overly complex message can overwhelm the audience, making it difficult for them to understand the key points. This can result in reduced effectiveness because the main ideas may be lost or misinterpreted.

Key Concept: Direction of Change

a) Congruent change

[Solution Description] When a negative attitude becomes less negative, the change is congruent as it moves in the same direction on the positivity scale, becoming more positive or neutral.

Key Concept: Complex Influence, Normative Behavior

d) Reference groups and cultural norms jointly determine attitudes.

[Solution Description] To identify how reference groups and cultural norms work together in shaping attitudes towards national issues, we need to consider both the direct influence of reference groups and the indirect influence through cultural expectations. Reference groups can provide a model for acceptable behavior and opinions, which are further reinforced by cultural norms. Individuals often align their attitudes to fit those seen as appropriate or rewarded within their reference group, thus impacting their perspective on broader societal concerns.

Key Concept: Message Characteristics

a) Rational appeals are more effective because they match the audience’s need for logical assessment.

[Solution Description] High-involvement audiences are typically more affected by rational appeals because they engage in higher-level processing and evaluate arguments logically.

Key Concept: Analyzing Scenarios

b) Self-fulfilling prophecy

[Solution Description] The scenario demonstrates a self-fulfilling prophecy where the initial unfounded belief of the manager about the applicants being less qualified leads to behavior (shorter interviews) that causes an outcome (candidates appearing less confident), thereby reinforcing the stereotype.

Key Concept: Basic Concepts

d) Education and information dissemination

[Solution Description] Education and information dissemination are key methods for reducing prejudice as they promote understanding and knowledge about different groups, which can help in changing prejudiced attitudes.

Key Concept: Attitude Extremeness

d) 7

[Solution Description]

On a 1 to 7 scale, where 1 represents the most negative attitude and 7 represents the most positive, the most extreme positive attitude would be rated as 7.

Key Concept: Component Consistency

b) An individual loves animals, thinks animal rights are important, and donates to animal welfare organizations.

[Solution Description] Component consistency involves having aligned cognitive, affective, and behavioral components. For instance, if someone believes exercising is important (cognitive), feels happy when exercising (affective), and regularly exercises (behavioral), this scenario shows consistency among all components.

Key Concept: Centrality in Attitude Systems

b) Central

[Solution Description] Central attitudes are those that significantly influence other beliefs within the system. Since renewable energy is crucial to environmental conservation, this viewpoint plays a key role.

Renewable energy is central due to its essential importance in environmental conservation; therefore, the correct answer is b).

Key Concept: Attitude Complexity

c) A student who dislikes homework but values education highly.

[Solution Description] Attitude systems can have multiple components that may involve different or competing feelings and beliefs. An example of this would be someone who loves animals but still eats meat. This scenario reflects the complexity because it involves balancing conflicting views or behaviors.

Key Concept: Attitude Change

d) Genetic predisposition

[Solution Description] Attitudes can be influenced by many factors including new information, social influences, and personal experiences. Genetic predispositions are stable and generally do not cause rapid changes in one’s attitude towards specific actions.

Key Concept: Cause and Effect

c) It encourages individuals to learn about each other, reducing prejudice.

[Solution Description] Increasing intergroup contact in cooperative settings allows individuals from different groups to work towards a common goal. This interaction helps reduce negative stereotypes by fostering understanding and empathy, leading to more positive attitudes towards the other group.

Key Concept: Multiplexity Analysis

b) Attitude towards health and well-being

[Solution Description] The topic of health and well-being generally encompasses many sub-attitudes related to exercise, diet, mental health, etc., making it a complex or multiplex attitude system compared to more singular topics like a specific product or person.

Key Concept: Impact

b) By reinforcing stereotypes and contributing to systemic discrimination

[Solution Description] Self-fulfilling prophecies can perpetuate stereotypes and reinforce discriminatory practices, impacting social dynamics by maintaining systemic issues like discrimination.

Key Concept: Consistency in Components

b) Cognitive and affective are strong, behavioural is weak

[Solution Description] Here, the cognitive component (belief in sustainability) is strong, but the behavioural component (following sustainable practices) is weak, indicating inconsistency between belief and action.

Key Concept: Attitude vs Value

b) Belief in honesty as the best policy

[Solution Description] Values are enduring beliefs about what is important in life, serving as guiding principles. Among the options, “Belief in honesty as the best policy” represents a value because it reflects a fundamental principle rather than a specific attitude towards something or someone.

Key Concept: Real-Life Application, Attitude-Behavior Discrepancy

c) Community members advocate for renewable energy but do not adopt solar panels due to high initial costs.

[Solution Description] This question involves analyzing how personal experiences shape attitudes and why there may be a difference between having a positive attitude and actually engaging in behaviors consistent with that attitude. The discrepancy often arises due to external pressures or barriers such as lack of resources or conflicting societal norms.

Key Concept: Centrality and Policy Making, Centrality and Social Influence

c) They guide the development of inclusive curricula and practices.

[Solution Description] In a community that values inclusivity as a central attitude, educational policies are often shaped by this principle. Such central attitudes guide initiatives like curriculum diversification, anti-discrimination training, and inclusive practices. To find out how this happens, one must consider the role of central attitudes in shaping societal values and their translation into actionable policies. Thus, inclusivity influences policy decisions by ensuring they reflect and promote diversity.

Key Concept: Attitude Valence

c) Positive

[Solution Description] The valence of an attitude refers to the positive or negative direction of the evaluation. A rating of 4 on a scale of 1 to 5 suggests a positive valence as it leans towards the higher end of the scale.

Key Concept: Complexity

b) Complex

[Solution Description] Attitude systems regarding ethical consumerism involve various factors such as environmental sustainability, labor rights, and economic implications, making it complex rather than simple or neutral.

Key Concept: Role of Media

d) Media-related factors

[Solution Description] This scenario describes how media can influence attitudes by creating consumerist beliefs through repeated exposure to specific content and advertisements.

Key Concept: Effectiveness Comparison

b) Face-to-face interaction because of personalized messaging

[Solution Description] Recent studies suggest that face-to-face communication tends to be more effective in changing consumerist attitudes than media transmission. The personal nature of face-to-face interactions allows for tailored messages and immediate feedback, which can significantly influence attitude change.