Final answer:
The view of the human as a passive actor indicates that attitudes may not always be aligned with behaviors, as opposed to when humans actively use thought and motivation to guide their actions. This idea is explored in different psychological phenomena, including central route to persuasion and actor-observer bias.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the view of the human as a passive actor, our attitudes are often irrelevant to our behaviors. In this understanding of human behavior, individuals react to environmental stimuli rather than making conscious decisions based on internal attitudes or beliefs. This theory contrasts with the idea that humans are always rational, motivated, or emotional actors who act in accordance with their attitudes and feelings.
For instance, the central route to persuasion requires an audience to be analytical and motivated, while the actor-observer bias suggests we understand our own behavior in context more than that of others. This concept is relevant to the notion of motivated reasoning, where we accept evidence that aligns with our beliefs and reject contradictory information. Additionally, identifying trends in data typically engages analytical intelligence.