Theories of Attitude Change
📘 12.4 Theories of Attitude Change
Attitude change refers to a shift in a person’s beliefs, feelings, or behavioral intentions toward an object, idea, or person. Understanding how attitudes change is essential for:
- Policy implementation
- Behavior modification campaigns
- Social reform
- Public administration and leadership
🧠 Why Do Attitudes Change?
- Exposure to new information
- Inconsistency between beliefs and actions
- Influence of peers or authority
- Emotional appeal in communication
- Reward or punishment associations
🌟 Major Theories of Attitude Change
1️⃣ Cognitive Dissonance Theory (Festinger, 1957)
Core idea: When there’s a mismatch (dissonance) between one’s beliefs and actions, it creates psychological discomfort — leading the individual to change their attitude to reduce discomfort.
Example:
- An IAS officer supports gender equality but initially ignores workplace discrimination. This conflict causes dissonance. To resolve it, they might:
- Take a stand
- Reframe beliefs
- Adjust behaviors
✅ UPSC application: Used in ethics and training to align official behavior with constitutional values.
2️⃣ Balance Theory (Heider, 1946)
Core idea: People prefer harmony in their relationships with others and objects. A change in attitude may occur to restore balance among three elements — Person (P), Other (O), and Object (X).
Example:
- P (you) likes O (a mentor), and O supports X (a social reform).
- Even if you disliked X earlier, you may shift attitude to maintain harmony with your mentor.
✅ Used in: Community psychology, managing team dynamics in bureaucracy.
3️⃣ Persuasion: Yale Model (Hovland)
Attitude change depends on:
- Source (credibility, attractiveness)
- Message (clarity, emotional appeal)
- Channel (TV, radio, interpersonal)
- Audience (age, self-esteem)
Example:
- A Swachh Bharat campaign led by a celebrity (credible source) through social media (channel) with emotional visuals (message) effectively changes public attitudes.
✅ Used in: Government campaigns, behavioral change communication (BCC)
4️⃣ Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) – Petty & Cacioppo
Suggests two routes of persuasion:
- Central route: Careful, logical thinking; leads to long-lasting attitude change
- Peripheral route: Superficial cues (celebrity, slogans); leads to temporary change
Example:
- Central: A UPSC aspirant reads a detailed RTI case study → firm belief in transparency
- Peripheral: Sees a meme promoting RTI → temporary interest
✅ Used in: Designing public service messages — when to use deep info vs catchy slogans
5️⃣ Social Judgment Theory (Sherif)
Attitude change is influenced by how close a message is to an individual’s existing position.
- Latitude of acceptance: Message close → more likely to be accepted
- Latitude of rejection: Message too different → rejected
Example:
- Asking conservative communities to fully abandon a practice might fail.
- But suggesting a gradual shift within their belief range is more effective.
✅ Used in: Policy reform in sensitive areas like caste, religion, personal law
📊 Comparison Table
| Theory | Key Mechanism | Application Example |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Dissonance | Reducing internal conflict | Changing corrupt behavior post-training |
| Balance Theory | Maintaining triadic harmony | Aligning with respected leader’s views |
| Yale Model | Message + Source + Channel | Celebrity-led campaigns |
| Elaboration Likelihood | Central vs Peripheral routes | Digital campaigns for behavioral change |
| Social Judgment Theory | Latitude of acceptance | Framing gradual reforms in personal laws |
💡 Practical Indian Examples
- Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: Leveraged peripheral route (visuals, celebrities) → mass awareness
- Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: Used emotional and rational appeals → attitude change in rural belts
- COVID-19 vaccine adoption: Combined Yale model (expert communication) and dissonance reduction (health vs fear)
✍️ UPSC Answer Writing Tips
- Start with the definition of attitude change
- Mention why it is important in public policy
- Explain each theory with examples
- Use real-world Indian case studies
- Use a comparison table for clarity
- End with application in administration or social change
🧠 Mnemonic: C-BYES
- Cognitive Dissonance
- Balance Theory
- Yale Model
- ELM
- Social Judgment
