GS Paper 4 Ethics

Attitude Formation: Meaning, Process, Methods and Examples

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Attitude formation is the process through which individuals develop favourable or unfavourable evaluations of persons, objects, ideas, institutions or situations.

Ways Through Which Attitudes Are Formed

Direct Experience: Attitudes develop through personal interaction with a person, object, institution or situation.
- A citizen who experiences harassment at a government office may develop a negative attitude towards public administration.
Classical Conditioning: Attitudes develop when an object, person or idea becomes associated with a pleasant or unpleasant experience.
- A student may develop a positive attitude towards a subject when it is consistently associated with an encouraging teacher and enjoyable classroom experiences.
Operant Conditioning: Attitudes develop through rewards, punishments, approval or disapproval.
- A civil servant who receives recognition for promptly resolving citizens’ grievances may develop a more favourable attitude towards responsive public service.
Observational Learning: Attitudes develop by observing the behaviour and expressed opinions of parents, teachers, peers, leaders or other role models.
- A junior officer who observes a senior treating citizens respectfully may develop a positive attitude towards public service.
- A child who observes parents treating people from all communities respectfully may develop a positive attitude towards social equality.
Verbal Learning: Attitudes develop through information, advice, instructions and opinions communicated by other people.
- A teacher explaining the importance of gender equality may help students develop a favourable attitude towards equal opportunities.
Mere Exposure: Repeated exposure to a person, object or idea may increase familiarity and influence attitudes towards it.
- Repeated exposure to advertisements for a product may create a favourable attitude towards it, even when the viewer has never used it.

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