AP Psychology Lesson: Attitude Formation and Change

Unit: Social Psychology and Personality
Lesson: 2 of 6
AP Exam Weighting: 15%–25%

Warm-Up: “Attitude Snapshots”

Write 1–2 sentences for each:

Why might you develop a positive attitude toward a new hobby?
How could a friend’s opinion change your view on a topic?
When has your attitude changed unexpectedly? What triggered it?

Key Concepts

Attitudes (ABC Model)

Attitudes are your overall evaluations of a person, object, or idea. Psychologists describe attitudes using the ABC model, which explains three connected parts:

Affect (Feelings)
Your emotional reaction.
Example: Feeling nervous around dogs or feeling happy when you see your best friend.
Behavior (Actions)
What you actually do.
Example: Avoiding dogs, volunteering at an animal shelter, choosing a certain brand.
Cognition (Beliefs/Thoughts)
What you believe or think.
Example: “Dogs are dangerous,” or “Exercising makes me healthier.”

These three parts work together and can influence choices like who you vote for, what foods you buy, or how much you study.

Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance is the uncomfortable tension you feel when your beliefs and actions do not match.

People try to reduce this uncomfortable feeling by:

Changing their behavior
Example: “I believe saving money is important, so I stop overspending.”
Changing their attitudes
Example: “Maybe buying expensive clothes isn’t so bad—it boosts my confidence.”
Adding justifications
Example: “I know I shouldn’t smoke, but it relieves stress, so it’s okay once in a while.”

Simple Example:
“I value health but I smoke → this feels wrong → I quit smoking, or convince myself it’s not too harmful.”

Persuasion

Persuasion is the process of changing someone’s attitudes or beliefs using communication, such as speeches, ads, social media posts, or peer conversations.

Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)

This model explains two different ways people can be persuaded:

1. Central Route

Persuasion through logic, evidence, and strong arguments.
Works when people are interested, focused, and motivated.

Example:
A student chooses a university after comparing graduation rates, tuition, and job outcomes.

2. Peripheral Route

Persuasion through superficial cues, not deep thinking.
Used when people aren't motivated or don’t care deeply.

Examples:

Choosing a product because the celebrity in the ad is attractive.
Voting because the candidate has a catchy slogan.

Social Influence

Attitudes change because of other people, including friends, parents, culture, or media.

Two major types:

Normative Social Influence

Changing attitudes or behavior to fit in or be liked.
Example: Dressing a certain way because your friends do.

Informational Social Influence

Changing attitudes or behavior because you think others know more than you.
Example: Following others during an emergency because you assume they know the correct exit.

Attitude–Behavior Consistency

Your behavior matches your attitude.
Example: Believing recycling is important AND actually recycling.

Selective Exposure

You only look for information that supports what you already believe.
Example: A person who loves a politician only watches news that praises them.

Confirmation Bias

Interpreting new information in a way that supports your existing beliefs.
Example: Two students read the same teacher review: one sees it as “strict but fair,” the other as “unreasonable,” based on their prior opinions.

Source Credibility

How trustworthy and knowledgeable a communicator seems.
Example: People trust medical advice from a doctor more than from a random influencer.

Message Framing

How wording changes persuasion even if the meaning is the same.
Examples:

“90% fat-free” sounds better than “10% fat.”
“Save lives by donating blood” vs. “People will die if you don’t donate.”

Fear Appeals

Using fear to persuade.
Example: Anti-smoking ads showing damaged lungs.

Compliance vs. Internalization

Compliance: You change behavior to get a reward or avoid punishment, but you don’t truly agree.
Example: Wearing a uniform because the school requires it.
Internalization: You genuinely adopt the belief.
Example: Believing uniforms actually help reduce bullying.

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

Agree to a small request → more likely to agree to a bigger one.
Example: Signing a small petition → later agreeing to volunteer.

Door-in-the-Face Technique

Start with a big request (rejected) → follow with a smaller request (accepted).
Example: Asking for a $100 donation → being denied → then asking for $10, which is accepted.

Concept Questions

Write your own definitions:

Explain how the central route influences behavior (example):

2. Explain how social influence shapes attitudes (different example):

3. How does cognitive dissonance motivate behavior change?

4. Why might the peripheral route be effective in changing attitudes?

5. How could cultural factors shape attitude formation?

Vocabulary Practice Activity 1: Matching

Match each term to the correct description:

A. Cognitive dissonance
B. Peripheral route
C. Central route
D. Foot-in-the-door
E. Selective exposure
F. Message framing
G. Fear appeal
H. Normative social influence
I. Source credibility
J. Confirmation bias

Choosing information that matches your beliefs ______
Agreeing to a small task increases chance of agreeing to bigger one ______
Attitude change driven by logic and evidence ______
Feeling tension from inconsistent beliefs and actions ______
Following others to gain acceptance ______
Changing attitudes based on emotional cues ______
Trusting a message because the speaker is an expert ______
Responding strongly to how information is worded ______
Preferring scary warnings that influence behavior ______
Interpreting new info in ways that support what you already believe ______

Vocabulary Practice Activity 2: Apply-It Sentences

Write your own example for five of the following terms:

Central route
Peripheral route
Fear appeal
Cognitive dissonance
Normative social influence
Foot-in-the-door
Confirmation bias
Attitude-behavior consistency
Source credibility

NEW Guided Activities

Activity 1: Route Identification Grid

Read each scenario and identify:

Central route
Peripheral route
Cognitive dissonance
Normative influence
Informational influence
Foot-in-the-door
Fear appeal

Then explain why.

Scenario	Term	Why?
A student buys a laptop after comparing RAM, CPU, storage.
A teen donates to a charity after seeing an emotional video.
A friend starts recycling after learning about environmental damage.
You join a club because everyone else is joining.
A parent changes attitude after a doctor’s detailed explanation.

Activity 2: “Dissonance Detective”

For each situation:

Identify the dissonance
Explain how the person might reduce it (behavior change or belief change)

Situations:

A student says school success matters but never studies.
A teen claims social media is toxic but uses it 5 hours daily.
A person says honesty is important but copies homework.
A runner says health matters but eats fast food every day.

Activity 3: “Ad Strategy Breakdown”

Look at 4–6 provided advertisements (teacher shows digital or printed).
For each:

Central or peripheral route?
What persuasive cue or message is used?
Which vocabulary terms appear (e.g., fear appeal, source credibility)?
Why might this ad successfully change attitudes?

Activity 4: “Micro Case Study Builder”

Write a 3–4 sentence mini case study that includes:

How an attitude was formed
How an attitude later changed
At least two vocabulary terms (label them)

Example:
A student originally disliked math (affect) but after a fun teacher used logical explanations (central route), the student developed a positive attitude. Later, peer pressure (normative influence) made them join math club.

Students then answer:
Which two terms did you use, and how do they appear?

Class Assignment

Study Summary 1:

Cognitive dissonance led students to change their study habits after failing a test.
Question 1:
How does this study show the role of cognitive dissonance in behavior change?
What might moderate its effects (e.g., self-esteem, personal goals, importance of grades)?

Study Summary 2:

Celebrity endorsements increased positive attitudes toward products more than factual ads.
Question 2:
How does this study demonstrate persuasion routes?
Identify one limitation (e.g., age group, type of product, short-term attitude change).

“One Concept I’ll Use in Real Life”

Choose one:

A persuasion tactic that works on you
A time you felt cognitive dissonance
A moment when peers changed your attitude
A product you bought through peripheral persuasion

Write 2–3 sentences.

Last modified: Monday, 1 December 2025, 11:48 PM