DIRECT ◆ ME ◆ HEART & MIND
A
Attitudes & Beliefs
Both attitudes and beliefs are crucial factors that can influence our behaviour. Attitudes are a set of emotions, beliefs, and behaviours towards something, while beliefs are ideas or convictions that people hold to be true. These two factors act as our guiding light, informing what we are drawn to and what we initially think about something. They are also difficult to change.
Why it matters
Attitudes & Beliefs influence us by:
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Shaping Perceptions:
They dictate our outlook towards aspects of our world.
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Influencing Decision-Making:
They play a pivotal role in every choice we make.
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Guiding Actions:
They inform and direct our physical behaviours and actions.
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Moulding Social Interactions:
They subtly control our social dynamics and relationships.
Shaping Perceptions
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How it works:
Polarity in Perception: Beliefs often categorise our perceptions into positive and negative realms. For instance, if one believes that failure is a stepping stone to success, they perceive setbacks differently from someone who sees failure as detrimental.
Selective Perception: Attitudes act as filters, selectively allowing information that aligns with existing beliefs and attitudes to permeate our consciousness, while often sidelining discordant information.
Cognitive Biases: These may distort our perception, leading us to validate our existing beliefs (confirmation bias) or to overly rely on initial pieces of information (anchoring bias).
Paper: Petty, R. E., & Cacioppo, J. T. (1986). The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion. In Communication and persuasion (pp. 1-24). Springer, New York, NY.
Guiding Actions
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How it works:
Intrinsic Motivation: When beliefs are ingrained, actions stemming from them tend to be more consistent and self-driven, regardless of external rewards or recognitions.
Behavioural Consistency: An alignment between beliefs and actions is often sought, although this can sometimes lead to cognitive dissonance if misaligned.
Proactive/Reactive Actions: Beliefs may either propel us towards proactive behaviours, embracing challenges, or drive reactive behaviours, responding to situations when compelled.
Paper: Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational behavior and human decision processes, 50(2), 179-211.
Influencing Decision-Making:
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How it works:
Risk-taking vs. Risk-aversion: One’s predisposition towards or against risk is often closely tethered to underlying beliefs about success, failure, and self-efficacy.
Analytical vs. Heuristic Approach: Beliefs may dictate whether we rely on detailed analysis or heuristic shortcuts during decision-making, influencing the quality and outcome of decisions.
Long-term vs. Short-term Orientation: The temporal outlook of our decisions is often swayed by attitudes towards immediate gratification vs. deferred rewards.
Paper: Kahneman, D., & Tversky, A. (1979). Prospect theory: An analysis of decision under risk. Econometrica: Journal of the Econometric Society, 263-291.
Mould Social Interactions:
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How it works:
Empathy and Understanding: The belief in the intrinsic worth of understanding others can lead to enhanced empathic interactions and deeper social connections.
Ingroup vs. Outgroup Dynamics: Our attitudes towards “us” vs. “them” mould our interactions, sometimes leading to favouritism or bias, impacting social harmony.
Paper: Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (p. 33–47). Brooks/Cole.
A Study:
Attitudes steer future behaviour
Have you ever wondered about the link between our attitudes and actions? How do the stability of our attitudes, the importance of outcomes, and the slant of the information we consume shape our behaviours?
Embarking on a rich journey through diverse psychological and behavioural studies, researchers posed a crucial question: 'Can stable attitudes and the type of information received shape how attitudes and behaviours align?'. Through a meta-analysis, the team delved into various data, exploring differences and extracting insights from a range of experiments, participants, and contexts.
STUDY DETAILS
Goal:
To explore and understand the connections between attitude stability, the type of information received, and their impact on the relationship between attitude and behaviour.
Approach:
A thorough meta-analysis of different studies was conducted, examining correlations and moderating factors like attitude stability, outcome relevance, and one/two-sidedness of information, to comprehend their influence on the attitude-behaviour relationship.
OUTCOMES
Stable beliefs are more likely to predict actions.
Attitudes that have a significant personal impact are more likely to influence behaviour.
Information that leans a particular way, even slightly, can nudge attitudes and subsequently, behaviours.
Researching the pattern
Consider the following questions in discovery, research planning, research synthesis, reflection sessions, and team discussions to identify the Attitudes & Beliefs pattern:
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Do people’s attitudes align with their behaviour?
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Do people have positive feelings towards the behaviour?
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Do people believe that the behaviour is important?
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Do people think that performing the behaviour will lead to good things?
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Do people feel the behaviour is ‘for them’?
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Do people have conflicting attitudes or beliefs towards their behaviour?
Research tips
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Dive Deep into Beliefs:
Focus not merely on explicit responses but probe into underlying beliefs and the origins of those attitudes.
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Layer Exploration of Attitudes:
Order prompts to explore the layers and complexity of beliefs and how they interact with one another.
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Weaving Beliefs into Behaviours:
Weave findings about beliefs into broader explorations of behaviours and societal norms, finding connections and contradictions.
DEBRIEF
3 takeaways:
Beliefs Shape Actions: What we believe and feel guide how we see and move through the world.
Match Inside and Outside: Making sure our inner beliefs and outward actions match can ease mental stress and impact our choices in life and with others.
It’s Hard to Shift Beliefs: Changing beliefs is tough. It often takes many steps and a lot of time to really change what we believe and feel.
3 next steps:
Belief Formation: Investigate the origins and formation of beliefs and attitudes, exploring factors like cultural, social, and individual influences.
Resistance to Change: Explore why and under what circumstances people resist changing their attitudes, even when confronted with contradicting evidence.
Group Dynamics: Delve into how attitudes and beliefs are shaped, reinforced, or challenged within group settings, such as in families, friend circles, or work teams.