Describe what attitudes are and why these are of interest to social psychologists.
Give an overview of the learning processes through which we acquire our attitudes, (e.g., social learning, classical conditioning, subliminal conditioning, observational learning and instrumental learning).
Discuss the basic functions that attitudes may serve.
Explain the role that attitudes play in enhancing or maintaining our level of self-esteem.
Outline when and how attitudes may affect behavior from a historical and contemporary social psychological perspective.
Elaborate on the situational constraints that affect the expression of our attitudes.
Summarize how the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior and the attitude-to-behavior process model try to understand the attitude-behavior link.
State the key factors that social psychologists have historically believed lead to successful persuasion.
Explain why fear appeal is not always effective in changing our attitudes.
Contrast systematic and heuristic processing in terms of how these relate to persuasion.
Describe why and how we may resist persuasion by discussing reactance, forewarning, selective avoidance, biased assimilation, and attitude polarization.
Consider when we experience cognitive dissonance, how we can reduce it, and whether it is unpleasant for most individuals.
Explain how hypocrisy can be used in a manner that produces beneficial effects for an individual.
