Title: Attitude | psychology | Britannica
Headings: Attitude
Attitude
psychology

Content: attitudes” are viewed as still more narrow predispositions, with “beliefs” and “opinions” being progressively the most specific members of this hierarchy. According to this terminology the difference is one of degree rather than of kind. Some apply the term “ knowledge ” to what are held to be certainties and “attitudes” to what is uncertain, even using them to mean “true” and “false” beliefs, respectively. Another suggestion is that attitudes refer to beliefs that impel action while knowledge is more intellectual and passive. The study of attitude change—that is, the processes by which people acquire new attitudes—has been a major focus of social psychological research since the mid-20th century, and work in this field has led to theoretical developments (e.g., cognitive dissonance) and practical applications (e.g., in politics and advertising ). History at your fingertips
Sign up here to see what happened On This Day, every day in your inbox! Thank you for subscribing! Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Attitude
Quick Facts
related topics
Public opinion
Loyalty
Toleration
Self-fulfilling prophecy
Spiral of silence
Conspiracy theory
Confirmation bias
Institutionalized bias
Pessimism
Dunning-Kruger effect