PHED 3 Sport Psychology Attitude A2 PE PHED 3 Sport Psychology Attitude

What is an attitude? What components make up an attitude?

Attitude Attitude: “A view held by an individual towards an attitude object” This existence of an attitude predisposes the person to behave in a certain way towards the attitude object Attitudes are multi-dimensional Formed from Knowledge, emotion and behaviour intentions Harry Redknapp Roberto Mancini

Attitude in sport Athlete may have a negative attitude towards weight training Likely to train in a half hearted manner Leading to plateauing? Footballer may have a negative attitude towards a particular official Change their behaviour towards them- disagreeing and arguing This attitude could stem from a previous encounter Does this mean that the player will have the same attitude to all officials? Unlikely as attitudes tend to specific rather than global (Gill, 1986) Attitude can lead to a prejudice forming

Social Norms People are often told to change their attitude If it is not approved of If it is not helpful NCPE encourages schools to instil positive attitudes towards sport and PE. Unfortunately it doesn’t always suggest ways to achieve this. Social Norms Unwritten rules about your attitude, values, behaviour or beliefs Help control behaviour Based on consensus- Enough people believe them so they are true Can lead to social acceptance or disapproval

Attitude Components Cognitive Affective Behavioural Triadic Model Cognitive component- What we know and believe about the object Affective component- How we feel about the object Behavioural component- How we respond to, or intend to respond to the object Cognitive Affective Behavioural

Example Hockey player may understand that training will improve their performance (Cognitive) They enjoy the feeling of improved fitness during the game (Affective) Plan their session and take part it to their best ability (Behavioural)

Understanding the components It is a natural assumption that if our cognitive and associative components are in agreement then it we will behave according to these However this is not always the case… Young people may realise that exercise is good for them and enjoy it when they are taking part but may not chose to take part voluntarily. Fishbein and Azedn (1975) suggested that to predict behaviour a high degree of specificity of both attitude and behaviour components is required – Cognitive Consonance

Predicting behaviour An intention to train for a specific event gives more predictability than just a general intention to train. A stated intention to behave in a certain way was found to be a strong predictor of actual behaviour Attitude towards behaviour and generally accepted beliefs (Normative beliefs) both contribute towards predictability of behaviour. A teenage girl may appreciate the benefits of training and enjoy it but it may conflict with the social norms of her peer group. To encourage performers to behave in accordance with a set of general values and their own attitudes, you must ensure that… They understand the specific goals of the session They have a positive experience at the session Any negative attitudes or experiences are recognised and dealt with.

Model of predicting behaviour Beliefs about consequences of behaviour Normative beliefs about behaviour Attitude towards behaviour Subjective norm concerning behaviour Intention to perform behaviour BEHAVIOUR

Attitude formation Attitudes are formed by experience and learning, influenced by a number of factors:- Peer groups Acceptance within a group can rest on sharing similar attitudes Can help to create a sense of identity- higher degrees of cohesion Conditioning Rewards will strengthen existing attitudes- praise for training hard

Attitude formation Socialisation Learnt form significant others – parents, teacher, coaches, role models and the media Familiarity The more experience someone has with an object the more likely the attitude will be positive Taken to sport matches at a young age Gary Neville Rooney Citys going down

Forming a good attitude Why do we want positive attitudes? Positive cognitive and affective make positive behaviour more likely Socially valued- abiding by perceived norms Needed to become an Elite performer Can help coaches help to improve group dynamics (attitude to a new player)

Persuasive Communication Changing attitudes Accepting that certain positive attitudes are beneficial for elite performers… We may need to understand how to change an unwanted attitude… Persuasive Communication Cognitive Dissonance

Persuasive communication Exactly as it sounds- try to influence the attitude of a performer by discussion, argument or debate. Main factors in success of persuasive communication… The persuader The message The receiver Persuader Message Receiver Persuader Status in the eyes of the performer Popularity- role-model status Credibility- linked to feeling of trustworthiness Social background- linked to credibility Message Accuracy- is it correct? Is it stated with confidence and enthusiasm? Clarity- argument well constructed? Logical? Does it appeal to intellect or emotion? Sense of duty or responsibility? Receiver Are they ready for the message?- understand the arguments? How strongly held is the current attitude? Why do they hold it? Are they motivated to change? Or at least open to the possibilty?

Affective Behavioural Cognitive Cognitive Dissonance Individuals like to be consistent in what they do, feel and believe… If something new goes against this or they encounter new knowledge or feelings, they feel uncomfortable, they feel dissonance. Motivates individuals to reduce discomfort by changing their existing attitude or acquiring new ones. So to change an attitude you can ensure that one of the three components is inconsistent with the others, thereby creating dissonance.

Example of Cognitive Dissonance A group of year10 boys are told that this term they will be doing dance but the group have a poor attitude towards it and is being uncooperative. Explaining their attitude… Cognitive- They know dance isn’t highly thought of by their peers, maybe their dad has made comments at the TV. Affective- Tried it before and not enjoyed it or been unsuccessful Behavioural- Refusing to try it now (Even if they haven’t before)

Example of Cognitive Dissonance Changing their attitude… Cognitive- Change their knowledge of dance, bringing in a dancer to demonstrate modern and popular dance. Show all-male dance groups and emphasise the necessary components of fitness needed (Links to Strength and Stamina) Affective- Create a positive situation. Choose music they will like, keep difficulty at a low level to guarantee success and lots of positive reinforcement. Behavioural- Using rewards and incentives to get them to have a go.

Evaluation Persuasive communication Common-sense way of getting someone to adopt a more positive attitude. Can fail in light of strongly held beliefs Cognitive dissonance Criticised for being too simplistic Doesn’t take into account the individual’s motivation and need for consistency Both Are useful for understanding why a negative attitude may have formed Are useful for giving an insight into what factors should be considered for changing an attitude However attitude change is a long process with no guarantee of success…

Prove it review Define and describe an ‘attitude’ Discuss the influences on formation of an attitude and influences on behaviour Explain how you can change attitudes through cognitive dissonance and persuasive communication