Attitude accessibility

Definition

Attitude accessibility refers to the ease with which an attitude can be retrieved from memory and influences how quickly individuals can express their feelings or opinions about an object, person, or issue. The more accessible an attitude is, the more likely it is to influence behavior, decision-making, and the overall processing of related information. This concept is essential in understanding how attitudes are formed, structured, measured, and how they can predict behavior in various situations.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Attitude accessibility is typically measured by the speed at which individuals can respond to questions about their attitudes, with quicker responses indicating higher accessibility.
2. Factors such as personal experience, repetition of exposure, and emotional significance can enhance the accessibility of certain attitudes.
3. High attitude accessibility is often linked to more consistent behavior; people with accessible attitudes are likely to act in accordance with those attitudes.
4. Situational factors can also temporarily increase or decrease attitude accessibility, affecting how likely a person is to express a particular opinion.
5. Research has shown that accessible attitudes can override more deliberative thought processes, leading to snap judgments or spontaneous reactions.

Review Questions

• How does attitude accessibility influence an individual's ability to express opinions about various subjects?
  • Attitude accessibility affects how quickly and easily a person can retrieve their feelings or opinions from memory. When an attitude is highly accessible, individuals can articulate their thoughts almost instantly, which often leads to quick decision-making and behavior. Conversely, when attitudes are less accessible, individuals may struggle to express themselves clearly or may take longer to decide on their responses.
• Discuss the relationship between attitude accessibility and behavioral consistency. How do they interact?
  • There is a strong link between attitude accessibility and behavioral consistency. Individuals with highly accessible attitudes tend to exhibit behaviors that align with those attitudes more reliably than those with less accessible attitudes. This relationship suggests that when attitudes are easily recalled, they are more likely to guide behavior across different situations, resulting in a consistent pattern of actions reflecting one's beliefs.
• Evaluate how situational contexts might impact attitude accessibility and subsequent behavior during a social interaction.
  • Situational contexts can significantly affect attitude accessibility and influence behavior during social interactions. For instance, a person may have a highly accessible attitude about environmental issues but may suppress it in a context where such views are unpopular. Conversely, if they find themselves in a group that shares similar beliefs, the accessibility of their environmental attitude may increase, leading to active participation and outspoken advocacy. This dynamic demonstrates that both internal attitudes and external environments play crucial roles in shaping responses during social encounters.

Related terms

Cognitive Dissonance: A psychological theory that suggests individuals experience discomfort when holding conflicting beliefs or attitudes, leading to a change in one of the attitudes to reduce this discomfort.

Attitude Strength: The degree to which an attitude is important to a person and is characterized by factors such as durability, impact on behavior, and confidence in the attitude.

Implicit Attitudes: Unconscious evaluations that individuals hold about an object or person that may influence behavior without their awareness.