Attitude and Social Cognition — Important Questions

Learning by association, Being rewarded or punished, Observing others (modeling), Group or cultural norms

Attitudes are formed through multiple learning processes including association, reinforcement, modeling, and cultural norms. While genetics may have some indirect influence, attitudes are primarily learned through social interaction and experience.

Family and school environment, Reference groups, Personal experiences, Media influences

The main factors influencing attitude formation are family and school environment, reference groups, personal experiences, and media influences. These provide the social context for learning attitudes.

S.M. Mohsin

S.M. Mohsin, an Indian psychologist, proposed the two-step concept where attitude change first requires identification with the source, followed by the source showing attitude change themselves.

Stereotypes (cognitive component), Negative emotions like dislike or hatred (affective component), Discrimination (behavioral component)

Prejudice involves stereotypes (cognitive), negative emotions (affective), and may lead to discrimination (behavioral). It is typically negative toward the target group.