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id: "66dfe3ce3f8b4e9e69bf8603"
title: "Attitude and Social Cognition"
board: "CBSE"
curriculum: "CBSE"
class: "Class 12"
subject: "Psychology"
book: "Psychology"
chapter: "Attitude and Social Cognition"
chapter_slug: "attitude-and-social-cognition"
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version: 1
last_updated: "2026-06-20"
---

# Attitude and Social Cognition
After reading this chapter, you would be able to understand what attitudes are, how they are formed, and how they can change.

---

## Knowledge Snapshot

| Field | Details |
| :--- | :--- |
| Class | Class 12 |
| Subject | Psychology |
| Book | Psychology |
| Chapter | Attitude and Social Cognition |
| Pages | 104-119 |

---

## Chapter Summary

### Short Summary
The chapter discusses attitudes, including their formation and change, along with their role in social behavior.

### Detailed Summary
This chapter explores attitudes, defined as a state of mind regarding a topic, consisting of cognitive, affective, and behavioral components. It explains the processes of attitude formation, including learning through association, reward or punishment, modeling, group norms, and information exposure. Attitudes can change due to societal and psychological influences, with concepts like balance theory and cognitive dissonance highlighting these dynamics. Furthermore, it examines the relationship between attitude and behavior, the nature of prejudice and discrimination, and strategies for addressing prejudice effectively.

---

## Topic-Wise Explanation

### Explaining Social Behaviour
Social behavior is influenced by the presence of others and forms the basis of social psychology.

### Nature and Components of Attitudes
Attitudes are a set of views regarding an attitude object and include cognitive, affective, and behavioral components.

### Attitude Formation and Change
Addresses how attitudes are formed through experiences and interactions, and how they evolve over time.

### Attitude-Behaviour Relationship
Discusses the inconsistencies between attitudes and observed behaviors, including factors that influence this relationship.

### Prejudice and Discrimination
Describes negative attitudes towards specific groups and their implications in terms of discrimination.

### Strategies for Handling Prejudice
Focuses on educational strategies and increasing intergroup contact to combat prejudice.

---

## Core Ideas

| Idea | Explanation |
| :--- | :--- |
| Attitude Components | Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral aspects of attitudes. |
| Attitude Formation | Learned through experiences, including social interactions and media influence. |
| Attitude Change | Influenced by principles like cognitive dissonance and balance theory. |
| Prejudice | Negative attitudes based on stereotypes often leading to discrimination. |

---

## Key Concepts

| Concept | Meaning |
| :--- | :--- |
| Attitudes | A set of views toward an attitude object with evaluative features. |
| Cognitive Dissonance | A state of mental discomfort when holding conflicting cognitions. |
| Balance Concept | Theory suggesting the need for consistency in attitudes. |
| Prejudice | Negative attitudes towards particular groups. |

---

## Important Points for Revision

* Attitudes consist of cognitive, affective, and behavioral components.
* Social behavior is influenced by the presence of others.
* Attitudes can be formed through association, reward, modeling, norms, and media exposure.
* Cognitive dissonance can lead to attitude change.
* Prejudice leads to discrimination based on stereotypes.
* Strategies for minimizing prejudice include education and intergroup contact.

---

## Vocabulary and Glossary

| Word / Phrase | Meaning |
| :--- | :--- |
| Cognitive Dissonance | Conflict between contradictory beliefs that leads to attitude change. |
| Prejudice | Preconceived negative attitudes towards certain groups. |
| Attitude Object | The specific topic or target of an attitude. |

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## Practice Questions

### Short Answer Questions

1. Define attitudes and their components.
2. What is cognitive dissonance?
3. How are attitudes formed?
4. What role does social context play in shaping attitudes?
5. Describe the Balance Concept.

### Long Answer Questions

1. Discuss the relationship between attitudes and behavior, citing examples.
2. Explain the factors influencing attitude change, including social influences.
3. Analyze the roots and effects of prejudice in social psychology.

---

## Related Concepts

| Concept | Description |
| :--- | :--- |
| Social Psychology | Study of behavior in social contexts. |
| Discrimination | Unfavorable treatment of individuals based on their group affiliation. |

---

## Source Attribution

| Field | Value |
| :--- | :--- |
| Source | Edzy |
| Reference Type | examSubjectBookChapter |
| Reference ID | 66dfe3ce3f8b4e9e69bf8603 |
| Canonical URL | https://www.edzy.ai/cbse-class-12-psychology-attitude-and-social-cognition |
| Markdown URL | https://www.edzy.ai/okf/chapter/cbse-class-12-psychology-attitude-and-social-cognition.md |