Attitudes have four main functions for the individual: (1) the evaluative function, (2) the instrumental function (3) the ideological function (4) the expressive function of values. Ultimately, these functions serve people’s need to protect and enhance their self-image. More generally, these functions are the motivational bases that shape and reinforce positive attitudes toward objects or people perceived as satisfying needs and/or negative attitudes toward other objects or people perceived as punishing or threatening.
evaluative function
Fazio: “Possessing an attitude toward an object is more functional than not possessing any.” The adaptive effects of having an attitude are:
- Give a clear clue to guide action.
- To know what to do in advance, and avoid having to enter into deliberative reflections and judgments every time said object is found.
He demonstrated that the people With more accessible attitudes, they allow themselves to be influenced less by aspects of the situation and pay more attention to the characteristics relevant of the object.
instrumental function
The instrumental or adaptive or utilitarian function (Paez): The attitude It helps the person achieve objectives that bring tangible benefits or an adjustment to the situation. It is characterized by being based on the principle of means-ends utility: the attitude is acquired, maintained or expressed because through it a useful objective for the person is achieved.
Expressive function of values
The expressive function of values (Paez): Attitude allows the person to express what they really think and feel or want others to know about them. The difference between this function and the previous one is that, while there they spoke of a utilitarian rationality that allowed achieving individualistic objectives, here it is more about projecting a certain social image, the rationality being more cultural in nature.
ideological function
The ideological function (Echevarría and Villareal): Attitudes provide a certain explanation of the existing inequalities in society. If such an explanation is accepted, the inequalities are legitimized and justified. For this function to occur, both the marginalization of people who belong to the disadvantaged group, and the strategies for maintaining the status quo, must have institutional support and backing. This function is fulfilled by certain attitudes: prejudiced and ethnocentric.
Separation function
The separation function (Snyder and Miene): They consist of attributing completely negative characteristics to a dominated group. This function aims to exercise control over the possibility that this undervalued group can escape its precarious situation. The main difference with the previous one is that it depends more on the conditions of interaction between groups.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.