ABSTRACT
Beliefs are rarely neutral in their personal meaning, but rather are associated with positive or negative feelings toward the event or topic at issue. The concept of attitude subsumes both belief and evaluation concerning a topic of thought. Because attitudes provide the interface between the world and people’s beliefs and feelings about the world, they also provide ready-made ways of acting. Some attitudes have a utilitarian function that reflects an evolutionary foundation. Attitudes toward fairly neutral objects become positive or negative when the object is paired with something else that generates a strong positive or negative reaction. Sometimes the evolutionary and learning foundations of attitudes can promote conflicting attitudes. Certain attitudes are developed and maintained because they help people express their most cherished values. Theodore Newcomb studied attitudes of the 600 students who attended Bennington College in the mid-1930s. Attitudes also tend to become very global and polarized under conditions that activate people’s need for closure.
