This question has two parts; be sure to answer both. First, define attitude and its three components. Next, give an example statement that illustrates each component of attitude for the following situation: You have a much heavier workload than the other three people in your department who have your same job title. You work until 7 p.m. every night, while your three coworkers leave promptly at 5 o'clock.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

An attitude is defined as a learned predisposition toward a given object. Attitudes have three components:

1. The affective component—"I feel." The affective component of an attitude consists of the feelings or emotions one has about a situation. Example: "I feel frustrated and angry that I have to work late every night when everyone else in my department leaves on time."

2. The cognitive component—"I believe." The cognitive component of an attitude consists of the beliefs and knowledge one has about a situation. Example: "I believe I have the heaviest and most demanding workload in my department."

3. The behavioral component—"I intend." The behavioral component of an attitude, also known as the intentional component, refers to how one intends or expects to behave toward a situation. Example: "I intend to talk with my manager about my workload, with a goal of spreading the work more fairly among the employees in my department."