Content, Structure and Function of Attitude — Prelims Strategy

Prelims Strategy

Classify the statement, not the person. A belief about a policy's effects is cognitive; a feeling toward it is affective; a tendency or intention to act concerns the behavioural component. Observed conduct supplies further evidence but should not be assumed to reveal each component with certainty.

Keep structural terms separate. Valence gives direction, extremeness gives intensity, complexity concerns multiple aspects and centrality concerns importance in the wider attitude system. An option may correctly describe one dimension while naming another. Use a short example for each to prevent terminology from becoming interchangeable.

For attitude-behaviour questions, check the conditions. A supportive attitude can coexist with contrary action when practical options or social pressures intervene. Cognitive dissonance identifies inconsistency and discomfort, but its reduction does not guarantee a more accurate belief or ethically better behaviour.

Read whether the scenario describes changing conduct, rationalising it or receiving new evidence. These distinctions are more reliable than assuming that expressed approval predicts action directly.