Which of the following is NOT a component of attitudes? Group of answer choices feelings behavioral tendencies goals evaluative beliefs
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is goals.
Attitudes are composed of three primary components: feelings, behavioral tendencies, and evaluative beliefs. These components interact to influence how individuals respond to various stimuli, situations, or objects. Here’s a breakdown of each component:
- Feelings: This refers to the emotional response a person has towards an object, person, or situation. For instance, a person might feel happy when thinking about their favorite hobby or feel anger when thinking about a social injustice. These emotions form the affective component of an attitude.
- Behavioral Tendencies: This component reflects how a person is likely to act or behave towards an object or situation based on their attitudes. It suggests that attitudes influence actions. For example, someone who has a positive attitude towards environmental conservation may engage in behaviors like recycling or using public transport. This component represents the potential or intention to act in a certain way.
- Evaluative Beliefs: Evaluative beliefs are the cognitive aspects of attitudes, reflecting a person’s judgment or evaluation of the object or situation. This can involve beliefs about whether something is good or bad, desirable or undesirable. For example, a person may believe that exercise is beneficial to health and, based on that belief, have a positive attitude toward it.
Goals, on the other hand, are not typically considered a component of attitude. While goals might influence attitudes (for instance, a person may adopt a positive attitude towards saving money in order to achieve a financial goal), goals themselves are more about motivation and future outcomes, not about the evaluative structure of how one feels or behaves toward an object. Goals represent aspirations or end results, but they do not inherently form part of an attitude.
Thus, goals are a separate psychological concept that can be influenced by attitudes but is not a component of the attitude itself.