Definition (1) | A situational state of mind. |
Definition (2) | Emotions and ideas with regards to people, events or things. |
Function | Allows for an incredible depth of behavior whereby humans adapt their mind to each situation, person and thing. |
Examples | How a student feels about school or geography class or a particular teacher.Your state of mind as you deal with a person you find difficult.How a neighbor feels about your dog.An optimistic feeling you usually get when you first wake in the morning.A pilot who is determined and focused as they land a plane.A teacher who adopts a forgiving frame of mind when a student apologizes for misbehaving.A friend who becomes indifferent to you after you lie to them.An investor has a bad feeling about a particular company.You feel happy to see someone.An upcoming responsibility is filling you with a sense of dread. |
Elements | An attitude can include any state of mind that is applied to a situation. This includes:EmotionsFearsThoughtsIntuitionConcentration / Energy / FocusIndifference / InattentionMindset (e.g. optimism) |
Relevant To | Attitudes are a basic element of human behavior that allow people to adapt their behavior based on different situations, interactions and subject matter. As such, they are relevant to any domain that considers human behavior including:SociologyPsychologyPolitical ScienceBusiness / MarketingLeadership / ManagementTeachingSelf-Improvement |
Types | An attitude can be an intuitive or directed. An intuitive attitude is an emotional or seemingly automatic state of mind that you adopt towards someone or something. For example, a person that you instantly like or dislike. A directed attitude is an attitude that you consciously adopt or shape. For example, you instantly dislike someone but then self-correct to try to see them in a positive light in order to be a reasonable and pleasant person. |
Attitude vs Belief | Attitudes are commonly confused with beliefs. A belief is an opinion that you view as true. An attitude is a state of mind that is situational.If you think you are a terrible public speaker ... that is a belief.If you adopt a disciplined approach to public speaking to try to overcome your fear of it ... that is an attitude.Beliefs and attitudes are often confused because your beliefs tend to reveal your attitudes and vice versa. For example, if you state that a politician is dishonest, that is a belief that reveals a negative attitude towards the politician or possibly an entire political party. |
