ior of other human beings by attributing motives to them. We don’t know for sure
that these motives exist. We infer them from behavior, and then project them into
the other person’s inner world. For example, Murphy sits next to Trudy in a col-
lege class. Whenever Murphy speaks to Trudy, she is friendly and responsive. He
begins to make attributions. “She likes me.” Or, “She wants me to ask her out.”
Murphy’s attraction to Trudy is intensified by these attributions. The attributions
may or may not be correct. If they are correct, then asking Trudy for a date will
be a rewarding experience. If they are incorrect, then asking Trudy for a date will
be an embarrassing experience.
There are, of course, other factors involved in interpersonal attraction. How-
ever, the ones identified account for much of the variability in who likes whom.
(a) What theory of interpersonal attraction suggests that under certain conditions we might
perceive another person as an insincere fake?
(b) When we infer motives from behavior, we are making an.
Answers: (a) The gain-loss theory; (b) attribution.
Attitudes: Exploring Psychological Positions
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, “I hate war.” Mary, a mother says, “I’m
pro-life. I can’t stand the idea of abortion.” Ralph says, “I think it’s great that I
can make business calls from my cell phone when I’m eating lunch.”
All of the above statements reveal the presence of attitudes. An attitudeis a
relatively stable disposition to think, feel, or act in either a positive or negative
manner in response to certain kinds of situations, people, or objects. When an
attitude reflects in any way on the behavior of other individuals or groups, it is
called a social attitude.The way in which we think about war, abortion, and the
use of cell phones in public places provide examples of social attitudes.
There are four components to an attitude: (1) evaluative, (2) cognitive, (3)
affective, and (4) behavioral.
The evaluative componentrefers to the fact that an attitude is said to be
either positive or negative. Ralph has a positive attitude toward the use of cell
phones in public places. Someone else may have a negative attitude toward the
same behavior.
(a) When an attitude reflects in any way on the behavior of other individuals or groups it is
called a attitude.
(b) The component of an attitude refers to the fact that an attitude is said to
be either positive or negative.
Answers: (a) social; (b) evaluative.
Social Psychology: Interacting with Other People 251
