functional attitudes theory
Summary
Functional attitudes theory (Daniel Katz) says people hold attitudes because the attitudes meet psychological needs. The four functions are knowledge, instrumental (adaptive), ego-defensive, and value-expressive. The usual question gives a motive and asks which function it shows.
Detail
Meaning: Functional attitudes theory, tied to Daniel Katz, holds that people hold attitudes because the attitudes serve psychological needs. Four functions are usually listed: knowledge (organizes and simplifies the world), instrumental or adaptive (helps gain rewards and avoid punishments), ego-defensive (protects self-esteem or reduces anxiety), and value-expressive (expresses core values and self-concept). Some texts call the last one ego-expressive.
On the MCAT: A vignette gives a person's attitude and motive, and you name the function. Supporting a tax cut because it lowers your own bill is instrumental. Disparaging a group after a personal failure is ego-defensive. Volunteering to show commitment to compassion is value-expressive. Using a stereotype to make quick sense of strangers is knowledge. Persuasion tends to work better when the message matches the function the target's attitude serves.
Common confusion: This is not a theory of attitude change or of the link between attitudes and behavior, as cognitive dissonance, the elaboration likelihood model, and the theory of planned behavior are. It asks why an attitude is held. The same attitude can serve different functions in different people, so classify by the motive described in the passage, not by the topic of the attitude.
Sources
- Social Psychology (Myers)
- The Social Animal (Aronson)
- Psychology (Myers)
Written for the MCAT and checked before it was published. For study reference only. Spotted an error? Let us know.