Mrunal Ethics: Attitude Change,Persuasion,Prejudice,Discrimination

09/10/15 12:27 pm

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[Ethics] E2/P3: Attitude formation & Behavior Change, Persuasion, Prejudice,

Discrimination, Stereotyping
Posted ByMrunalOn 03/10/2015 @ 8:30 pm In Ethics | 15 Comments
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E2/P3: Video Lecture by Kavan Limbasiya (AIR-198/CSE-2014)

Attitude: Formation
Why study with Attitude?
Behavior prediction
1. Social /External pressure
2. Accessibility
3. Strength
Behavior specific attitude
Prejudice vs discrimination
Implicit and explicate prejudice
Importance of Attitude change
Cognitive dissonance
Persuasion
1. #1: Source
2. #2: Message
3. #3: Target

E2/P3: Video Lecture by Kavan Limbasiya (AIR-198/CSE-2014)

In the previous part (E2/P2) we learned about moral and political attitudes and role of social media in their development. Moving
on-

Youtube Link:https://youtu.be/eBWF2QkPSkE
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Mrunal Ethics: Attitude Change,Persuasion,Prejudice,Discrimination

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Attitude: Formation
Attitude is formed by stimuli it can be internal or external. Following are the 3 prominent theories about Attitude formation:

Pavlovian condition
(Classical)

Igor Pavlov would struck a bell when the dogs were fed.
Dogs learnt to associate the sound of the bell with food. After a while, at the mere sound of the
bell, they responded by drooling.

Instrumental /
operant conditioning

If your behavior leads to positive outcome, Itll be strengthened

If your behavior leads to negative outcome, itll be suppressed.
e.g. if you find a wrongdoing in other branch of your office, report it to your supervisor, but he
orders you to mind your own business, then next time youll ignore it.

Observational
learning

By seeing how other people get punishment / reward, you change your behavior.
e.g. if your subordinate is getting reward by speaking fake praises of Boss, youll feel inclined to
do the same.

Why study with Attitude?

If a person believes something, hell behave accordingly.
But there is long distance between belief and behavior.
Recall belief is part of attitude (cognitive component).
Attitude is in close proximity to behavior. So if we can change attitude, we can change behavior=>behavior
change=>nation/society changed. HOW?
Consider following example of my attitude towards snakes:
Snake is poisonous
Cognitive component
I run away if there is a snake Behavioral component
If an expert shows a snake and says it is non-poisonous. Then your cognitive component is altered.
Youll not run away, may be youll walk away but wont run away. (behavior, changed).
At the same time, it doesnt mean youll grab the snake in your arms and start to fondle it but still behavior is changed.

Behavior prediction
Two models for predicting behavior.
1. Mode model
2. Theory of reasoned action.
Theyre more technical than practical, so Consider your homework / self-study only if interested. Ill only cover the gist:

Social /External pressure

Through an experiment in USA during the heydays of racial discrimination.
Hotels, restaurant owners were sent letter if Chinese couple coming, will you receive them?
Most owners replied no. (=Racial prejudice) However, when a Chinese couple was sent to those hotels, majority of the
owner received them well. Owners feared negative media limelight.
Same way, if youre health conscious, youll avoid junk food at home but may be at friends private party youll eat junk
food or even drink desi liquor, because of peer-pressure.
Non-Cooperation movement: many did not participate. So others simply began social outcasting e.g. refusing to clean
their laundry, serve them grocery in the shop and so on. Then theyll also
Bottom line: Relation between attitude and behavior is not straight forward. social influence / peer-pressure matters.

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Mrunal Ethics: Attitude Change,Persuasion,Prejudice,Discrimination

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Accessibility
We all have dislike for salesman and tele-callers. If they call you, youll put down the phone without thinking of
consequences.
When youre disinclined to think (youre in low-cognitive mode), and accessibility is very high (youre immediately
putting down the phone).
Behavior prediction possible? Yes, in all such cases youll put down the phone if low cognitive and high accessibility. But
in reverse case, difficult.

Strength
As we learned strong attitude helps predicting behavior easily then weak attitude.
Even if people are in minority but theyve e strong attitude towards a cause, they may force their will upon others.
Consider some labour reform that will help 90% of the workers in unorganized sector.
But still Government may not implement It, fearing that labour unions (from organized sector), will begin strikes. (doing
strike is behavioral component).

Behavior specific attitude

Consider this study:
Do you like Church? Ans. Yes
But from above question and answer, its difficult to predict whether the respondent goes to Church mass every Sunday.
So, lets ask him a specific question- Do you like going to Mass every Sunday? If he says yes, then easy to predict he
likes Church, he may be doing charity to the poor, hed be avoiding seven cardinal sins and so on.
Thus, event is only one (going in Sunday Mass), but helps predicting many things.

Prejudice vs discrimination

Stereotypes

Jains are traders

Gujaratis are business minded
Tamils are proficient in maths.
Punjabis are alcoholic party lovers.
And so on.

Prejudice

Its your Attitude.

Prejudice is formed by negative-stereotyping.
E.g. all the Nigerians in Goa are drug dealers.

Discrimination

If that prejudice is guiding your behavior.

E.g. refusing to give NOC to a Nigerian person rent a house in your cooperative society.

Consider following experiment:

Students were divided into two groups- (1) wearing yellow shoes (2) wearing red shoes.
There is no difference in them, except shoes color.
Subsequently, red-shoe group students began badmouthing about yellow shoe groups e.g. those students are
lazy/notorious/bully and so on. And vice versa.
So, this is my group so everything is justified (in-group), and since he is in other group, everything is wrong in with him
(out-group).
Humans are not different. race, religion, regions etc. just like red shoes vs. yellow shoes.

Implicit and explicate prejudice

Explicit
prejudice

Example: Untouchability

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As society develops, the explicit prejudice begin to decline.

Example, in USA, when a black man meets a white man, the white man will not show explicit prejudice
but some negative things may be reflected in his facial expression, body language etc. Even himself may
not be aware of it.
Same way, in urban India, while there is no untouchability , youll find it during renting of rooms, selling
of property etc.

Implicit
prejudice

In 2009, Bollywood Actor Emaraan Hashmi said he wanted to buy a house in the posh Pali Hill but the housing society
refused to give him the NOC because he is a muslim.
Although Society administrators claim they did not give him NOC because his serial-kisser image will be a bad influence
on the teenagers of the society.
For Either case Mr.Hashmi is facing prejudice (A) because of his religion OR (B) because of his on-screen image.

Importance of Attitude change

Advertisement
Mass
campaign
IEC

Using ads, you change attitude of a person to make him like/buy your product.
To get juntaa support, youve to change their attitude. e.g. Modi = Gujarat; Attack against Modi = attack
against Gujarat.
Information-education-communication : for public awareness. As Explained below

From Administrative point of view, the burning issue is- despite all the schemes and policies, how to change attitude of the
people?
In Bangladesh open defection is very less. They built pit-latrine- thats safer than open defecation and cheaper than
conventional toilet.
But in India, many villagers have bikes, TVs and mobiles but not toilets at home and they dont feel guilty about it.
Even if Government builds toilet for individual house in the village, the family may use it as store-room.
So, basic issue is their attitude towards cleanliness or dignity of women.
Pouring money cant help. Hence Swatch-Bharat Abhiyan has enrolled celebrities to change to influence people.
National Health policy has a component: De-stigmatization of mental disorder. Otherwise no amount of money can help
rehabilitate a cured mental patient =attitude change required.
National Skill policy- person will do post-graduation and remain unemployed but may not learn welding to earn money,
because for his attitude is: education =graduation and all other trades are inferior. So, unless we change that attitude, he is
less likely to enroll for any skill Development program.
Therefore, Information-education-communication (IEC) components must be included in all Government schemes and
policies for changing attitude of people.
Dr.Amartya Sen talks about provision
Private
provision

Government giving medical insurance to people.- theyre free to use any sarkari/private hospital.

Public
provision

healthcare in sarkari hospital.

Dr. Armatya Sen says attitude change must be inculcated if Government wishes to opt public
provision route.
Because we are a socially backward country. Many feudal structures still running.

Consider following
Mid-Day meal
Cook may be of any caste, yet child will have to eat.
Students from all caste and religion will sit together and
eat.
Thus, A child develops tolerant/inclusive attitude
towards other castes and religions.

Immunization
Unsuccessful in Pakistan because peoples attitude
towards immunization is negative.
They think its against Islam, or American policy to
make Pakistanis infertile.

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Thus Attitude change important for civil servant, because he is a leader, he is a policy maker in the society.

Cognitive dissonance
American is one of the largest GHG emitters in the world. Their industrialists/academicians are in climate denial- that
global warming /climate change / environmental problems are fictional theories.
Theyre adopting this ideology to prevent cognitive dissonance.
Self-perception: Juvenile will not be sent to jail but to rehabilitation home, and ordered to do social service in old-age
house. Impact? Hell feel good about himself. We attacked his B component, his A and C will change automatically.
(remember CAB model from E2/P1).
Attitude Change theories
Dissonance By planting an idea that challenges the contrast in your beliefs e.g. tax evasion is same as corruption. So tax
theory
evader will either try to justify his action or change his tax-evasion behavior.
Learning
By actively persuading others.
theory
Elaboration likelihood model. If youre sleepy/just woken up then your cognitive capacity is very low. Your
elaboration will be low,
but if youre doing maths your elaboration level will be high.
So depending on your place in the elaboration spectrum, your persuasion capacity will change.
Advertisement works on people in low cognitive capacity mode. But it doesnt have long lasting effect, so
today you bought one brand mobile, after six months, another brand.
In governance, people have to be convinced during their high cognitive mode, for long lasting impact.

ELM

Persuasion
It is the communication intended to make other person believe or do something. The success of persuasion depends on three
factors: (1) source (2) message (3) target.

#1: Source
Trust worthiness: After terrorist attack, religious leaders ask devotees to maintain peace. Because people more likely to
follow gurus order, than collectors order during such crisis.
Similarly for increasing voters turnout or increasing cleanliness- youll have to rope in celebrities, spiritual leaders etc.
Because if municipal commissioner says keep the city clean, very less will follow. (Hence Modis idea of nominating 9
people for Swatch Bharat).
Perceived expertise: In toothpaste commercial, it is always a person wearing white apron, pretending to be a dentist and
saying This toothpaste is, Indian dental association dwaaraa pramaanit!
Doctor tells Obese person you should stop eating rice and your weight will reduce by 15 kgs in a month, then obese
person more likely to follow it, than same advice by his neighbor.
If your elaboration level is very high / your cognitive capacity is very high, then youll question each and every point even
if propounded by an expert. e.g. if youre on an operation table, you shouldnt ask the surgeon whether he sterilized the
scalpel!

#2: Message
Message should be simple compared to the capacity of the audience.
Gadar Movement: They simplified the Drain of wealth theory in their pamphlets and newspaper.
Catchy Slogans required: Kutch nahi dekhaa toh kuchh nahi dekhaa- to promote Gujarat tourism.
Foot-in-the-door: if you want a big favor, ask for a small favour first. E.g. to borrow laptop from a friend, first borrow his
book and return it unharmed to win his trust and confidence.

#3: Target
Ego
defense

Never challenge the ego of target- e.g. showing God/Godess portrait in jewelry ad = good, but in shoe-ad= your
persuasion will fail, audience will not buy your product.

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Mrunal Ethics: Attitude Change,Persuasion,Prejudice,Discrimination

Neutral
attitude

Negative
attitude

09/10/15 12:27 pm

Voter turnout is low: People are not hating democracy. Theyre neutral about voting- they are lazy, want to
enjoy public holiday, believe their vote wont make any difference in the outcome. EC will have to organize the
hoardings and street-plays accordingly- to connect with the youth, to connect with the rural masses.
After communal riots, the society is polarized, you cant change mood by putting hoarding.
Youll have to place cognitive dissonance: Loss of life/property on both sides vs. taking revenge
Anne Frankes Diary, Nazi War-memorial: Even a pro-Nazi will feel dissonance- and see how precious
each human life is.

SelfAsk a student to explain to the class, why is smoking bad for health. Then during adult life, that person will
persuasion resist smoking even under peer-pressure.
Persuasion in peripheral route: when you buy biscuit, since theyre cheap, you wont do market research. Just go and buy.
Persuasion in central route: while buying home, computer or car- youll do analysis of various products, persuasion will
be difficult for salesman. But once convinced youll go ahead and buy.
So, if your attitude towards democracy is changed in central route, then itll have long lasting impact. Youve to design
message accordingly. Convince people that message is relevant to them e.g. pro-development, anti-corruption ideology.
Nowadays, those are the buzz words and even erstwhile casteist and communal parties are forced to toe that line to make
people vote for them.
In the next part (E2/P4), we shall look at the case studies and mock questions related to Attitude.
Visit Mrunal.org/Ethics for more study material on Ethics.
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