ABSTRACT
Before reading beyond this paragraph, the reader might try to answer the question stated as the title of this chapter. Some relevant background starts with Allport’s (1935) declaration that attitude is “social psychology’s most indispensable concept.” Allport apparently regarded the importance of attitudes as being so evident that it was not necessary to detail the basis for his assertion of its importance. Subsequent reviewers have often followed Allport’s lead, resting the case for importance of the attitude construct chiefly on its great popularity (e.g., DeFleur & Westie, 1963; Doob, 1947; Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975; McGuire, 1969). However, if the construct of attitude is indeed of major importance, then there must be some important phenomena of social behavior that cannot be explained (or, at least, cannot easily be explained) without appealing to attitudes. But what are the phenomena that would be difficult to explain if attitude were stricken from the psychologist’s vocabulary? (Here is where the reader can try to answer the question, before reading further.)
