The psychology of attitudes
About the course
The course can be taken as a singular course.
Our attitudes toward objects, people, and ideas shape many aspects of everyday life, including our choice of consumer goods, friends, and political values. What are attitudes, how do they develop, how are they related to behavior, how can they be measured, and how can they be changed?
Part I presents traditional and contemporary approaches to the study of attitudes. This part deals with the definition of attitudes, their structure and function, their origin, and their consequences. The measurement of attitudes will be discussed; further, the most influential models of persuasion (that is, how to change peoples' attitudes) will be presented.
Part II deals with selected topics that have recently gained attention in the literature. First, new theoretical models of persuasive communication have been proposed that provide a fresh view on how attitudes are formed, and how they can be changed. These models will be presented and compared to the established approaches. Second, research has demonstrated the usefulness of complementing direct measures of attitudes (typically based on questionnaire responses) by indirect attitude measures (typically based on response latencies). These two kinds of measures may often lead to different conclusions, for instance in research on sensitive topics such as intergroup attitudes. Theoretical background and measurement instruments, but also ambiguities concerning the appropriate interpretation of indirectly assessed attitudes will be presented and discussed.
Admission requirements
Objectives of the course
Prerequisites
Anbefalte forkunnskaper
PSY-1001 Introduction to psychology, PSY-1005 Social psychology, PSY-1012 Psychological methodology
Teaching methods
Language of instruction and examination
EnglishRecommended reading/syllabus
Du kan se og få tilgang til deler av pensum via Leganto.
Pensumliste for PSY-2020 Attitudes (Autumn 2023)Information to incoming exchange students
This course is available for inbound exchange students.
There are no academic prerequisites to add this module in your Learning Agreement
Do you have questions about this course? Please check the following website to contact the course coordinator for exchange students at the faculty: https://en.uit.no/education/art?p_document_id=510412
Examination
| School exam | Date: 17.11.2023 09:00 Duration: 4 Hours |
Grade: A–E, fail F |
To take an examination, the student must have passed the following coursework requirements
| Written report | Grade: Approved – not approved |
Everything you need to know about before, during, and after the exam; registration, absence, appeals, and diplomas: UiT Exams homepage
