2. Attitudes – LO’s
• Define Attitudes, beliefs and values
• Explain the difference between attitudes,
beliefs and values
• Describe the Components of an attitude
• Explain how attitudes are formed
• Explain how to change attitudes through
persuasive communication and cognitive
dissonance
3. Activity 1
• 1 group of 3, 1 group of 4 – 2 observers
• 4 Tasks to complete
9. Task
• In pairs come up with potential
definitions for belief, values and
attitudes
• Decide what is the difference
between the different terms.
10. Definitions
• Attitudes – ideas charged with
emotion (positive or negative) which
predisposes a class of actions to a
particular social situation
• Belief – represent the knowledge or
information we have about the world
• Values – are deep seated feelings or
thoughts (emotions) which form the
basis for evaluating if something is
worthwhile. (Culturally based)
11. The link………….
• Attitudes are therefore
• Blend of beliefs and values
• Learned via
• Social environment (experience)
• Provide us with a means to express our
values
• Attitude is a key which determines
behaviour
• Can have attitudes to objects, people,
events or ideas
• Not all embracing (can hate rugby but not all
sport)
12. Secord and Backman (1964)
• Developed 3 components of attitude
(Triadic model)
• Cognitve (what we know and believe
about the attitude object.)
• Affective (how we feel about the
attitude object.)
• Behavioural (how we actually behave
towards, respond to or intend to
respond to the attitude object.)
13. Applied to sport…
• An athlete can show a positive
attitude to sport by believing in
the benefits of exercise (Cognitive)
• By showing enthusiasm and
enjoyment in games (affective)
• By turning up to practice and
taking a regular part in sport
(behavioural)
14. But……
• Relationship between cognitive and
behavioural parts are unreliable
• i.e. what you believe is not
necessarily what you do
• E.g. you might believe that weight
training will make you stronger but
you might not do it!!
• Due to Affective component (male
might want to look muscular but
female may not!)
• So quite a simplistic approach
15. Attitude Formation
• Learning (past experiences,
successes and failures)
• Familiarity
• Classical conditioning
• Operant Conditioning
• Socialisation (Significant others)
• Peer groups and social groups
16. Positive or negative attitudes
• Positive attitudes formed:
• Belief in exercise
• Enjoyable experiences in sport
• Being good at a sport
• Excited by challenge of sport
• Using sport as stress release
17. Positive or negative attitudes
• Negative attitudes formed:
• Not believing in benefits of exercise
• A bad past experience
• Injury
• A lack of ability
• Fear of taking part
• Suffering stress when taking part
• Influence of others
18. Positive attitude towards sport
• We must ensure:
• See the relevance of specific fitness
and practice programmes
• Gain a direct experience of the
fitness/practice programmes to
specific activities
• And that any negative attitudes are
dealt with ASAP!
19. Changing attitudes
• Persuasive Communication
• Four basic factors;
• Who is trying to persuade?
• What is the message?
• Whom is the message trying to reach?
• What is the situation context?
20. Cognitive Dissonance
• Challenging one or more components of an
attitude causes unease in the performer
which may motivate them to change attitude
21. Example
• E.g. You might reject the need for aggression in
your sport (Belief 1)
• But in order to win against a particular team you
must physically intimidate your oponent (Belief
2).
• Two beliefs conflict
• This dissonance is resolved by telling yourself
that it’s alright to playhard against this particular
opponent because they play rough too
• Modification to (Belief 1)
22. What else…..
• Coaches may also use
• Point out benefits to health
• Making activities fun and enjoyable
• Allowing easy initial success
• Using roll models
• Attributing the reasons for success internally
23. Changing Attitudes Task
– Using your notes………..
• Look carefully at the methods used by coaches to change
attitudes.
• You are trying to establish a rugby league team for girls and at the
first session quite a few girls arrive but are not sure they want to
continue. They think rugby league is mainly for men and is too
physical for them.
• How can you persuade the girls to continue?
• How can you change their attitude?
24. Attitudes and Predjudice
• A prejudice = extreme attitude
• E.g. Gender, race, age, officials, team
• Formed: social learning, fitting in with social
norms, media pressure, past bad experience,
fear
• Overcome – PC, CD, re-educate (roll
models/media), punishment, reinforce fair
behaviour
