Final answer:
The three components of attitudes are affective (emotions), behavioral (actions), and cognitive (beliefs). Each component influences how we feel, act, and think regarding various subjects. These components are essential for understanding the impact of attitudes on our behavior and the strategies for changing attitudes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The three components of attitudes, as stated by Rosenberg and Hovland (1960), include the affective component, the behavioral component, and the cognitive component. Each of these plays a critical role in forming our total attitude toward a person, idea, or object.
- The affective component involves our feelings or emotions toward the subject.
- The behavioral component pertains to the way our attitudes influence how we act or behave.
- The cognitive component consists of the beliefs and knowledge we have about the subject.
Understanding these components is essential as they help to explain how and why attitudes affect our behavior and inform strategies for attitude change, such as reducing cognitive dissonance or the role of persuasion through advertising.