Class 12 Psychology - UP
Attitude and Social Cognition
The chapter 'Attitude and Social Cognition' in Class 12 Psychology explores how we understand other people and form mental frameworks about the social world. For UPMSP board exam aspirants, this chapter is crucial as it bridges basic psychological theories with real-world social behavior. You will study how attitudes are formed, changed, and how they relate to behavior, alongside social cognition processes like schema, attribution, and impression formation. Understanding these concepts helps you score well in both objective and descriptive board questions by applying psychological principles to everyday social interactions.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Attitude
A state of the mind, a set of views, or thoughts regarding some topic (called the attitude object), having three components: Affective, Behavioral, and Cognitive (the ABC components).
Social Cognition
The process through which we notice, interpret, remember, and use information about our social world to make judgments and decisions.
Schema
Mental structures or templates that provide a general framework for making sense of information, people, and situations in our social environment.
Attribution
The process of assigning causes to people's behavior, which can be internal (dispositional) or external (situational).
Balance Theory (P-O-X triangle)
Proposed by Fritz Heider, it states that attitudes towards an object and another person must be balanced to avoid psychological tension.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Uttar Pradesh (UPMSP) Class 12 Psychology board exam, this chapter typically carries around 6 to 8 marks. Questions usually include multiple-choice questions (MCQs), very short answer questions (definitions like schema or attribution), short answer questions (components of attitude or cognitive dissonance), and occasional long-answer questions requiring explanation of attitude formation and change.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ABC components of attitude?
The ABC components stand for Affective (emotional reaction), Behavioral (actions towards the object), and Cognitive (beliefs and thoughts about the object).
What is the difference between internal and external attribution?
Internal attribution assigns a person's behavior to their internal traits or personality, while external attribution assigns it to external environmental or situational factors.
Can attitudes always predict behavior?
Not always. Attitude predicts behavior best when the attitude is strong, specific, easily accessible, and when there is little social pressure to behave otherwise.
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