Understanding Attitude

• Attitude Defined: An attitude is an evaluation of people, objects, or ideas, which can be positive or negative.
• CAB Model of Attitude: Attitude is understood through its three core components, often referred to as the CAB Model:
  • Cognitive: This component relates to thoughts and beliefs about the attitude object.
  • Affective: This component encompasses feelings and emotions associated with the attitude object.
  • Behavioral: This component refers to actions or behavioral tendencies towards the attitude object.

Cognitive Component

• Nature: This component involves beliefs, knowledge, and perceptions an individual holds about a person, object, or idea.
• Example: A clear example is the belief: ‘Spiders are dangerous’, which is a thought-based perception.
• Quote: As famously stated by Mahatma Gandhi: ‘A man is but a product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.’ This highlights the profound impact of our cognitive beliefs on our reality and actions.

Affective Component

• Nature: This component involves emotional reactions to the attitude object. These emotions can include feelings like fear, love, anger, etc.
• Example: Following from a cognitive belief, an example is: ‘I feel scared of spiders.’ This demonstrates the emotional response directly linked to a prior cognitive perception.

Behavioral Component

• Nature: This component represents the actions based on thoughts and feelings (derived from the cognitive and affective components). It refers to the predisposition or tendency to act in a certain way towards the attitude object.
• Example: Following the previous examples, ‘I run away from spiders’ is an action that is directly derived from the belief that spiders are dangerous and the feeling of fear towards them.

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