Final answer:
Values and attitudes significantly influence selective attention by affecting its affective, behavioral, and cognitive components, and cultural background affects how we focus on stimuli. Cognitive dissonance can lead to changes in our selective attention, while our biases affect the information we choose to notice or ignore.
Step-by-step explanation:
Values and attitudes play a significant role in the selective attention process. Our values, deeply held beliefs that guide our behaviors, and attitudes, our evaluations or feelings toward a person, idea, or object, both have the power to influence what we pay attention to. These internal states affect the three components of attitude: affective (feelings), behavioral (effect on behavior), and cognitive (belief and knowledge).
People often experience cognitive dissonance, a tension arising from conflicting thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, which can lead to changes in attitudes or beliefs in an effort to reduce discomfort. Furthermore, our selective attention is influenced by the cultural background, with varying focus on context depending on whether one originates from a collectivistic or individualistic society. This can manifest in different ways, such as when encountering visual stimuli or interacting in social settings.
Consequently, the selective attention process is not immune to the effects of personal prejudices and discrimination. When our values and attitudes are aligned with positive perceptions of people or ideas, we're more likely to attend to associated stimuli. Conversely, when we hold negative views, this can lead to the exclusion of certain information or stimuli, demonstrating the selective nature of attention affected by internal influences.