ABSTRACT
Attitudes. according to Allport (I 935) in his landmark chapter in the Handbook of Social Psychology, are" ... probably the most distinctive and indispensable concept in contemporary American social psychology" (p. 798). Even a casual survey of current textbooks, handbooks, conference proceedings and journals reveals that the study of attitudes is a predominant theme of contemporary social psychology. The attitude concept affords linkages with a wide range of topics that interest social psychological theorists, researchers, and practitioners. The present chapter attempts Lo illuminate how these topics are infused with and connected to fundamental attitudinal concepts and processes. Two distinguishable approaches can be taken when illuminating linkages between the attitude literature and related disciplines: the interdisciplinary approach that addresses social problems by combining the social psychology of attitudes with perspectives from disciplines outside of social psychology (e.g., health care, education. politics, law); and the intradisciplinary approach that focuses on linkages between attitude rL:search and other fundamental topics within the tield of social psychology (e.g., impression formation, interpersonal attraction, close relationships, group performance, group decision making).
