Which of the following characteristics of an existing attitude would make that attitude easier to change?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → The attitude is simple rather than multiple.
Option (1) The attitude is simple rather than multiple. — Correct. <strong>Simplicity</strong> means the attitude system holds only one or a few member attitudes. A simple attitude is <strong>easier to change than a multiple one</strong>.
Option (2) The attitude is negative rather than positive. — Incorrect. Valence works the other way. <strong>Positive attitudes are easier to change</strong> than negative ones, so a negative attitude is harder to change.
Option (3) The attitude is extreme rather than less extreme. — Incorrect. Extremeness shows how positive or negative an attitude is. An extreme attitude is <strong>more difficult to change</strong> than a less extreme one.
Option (4) The attitude is central rather than peripheral. — Incorrect. Centrality is the role an attitude plays in its attitude system. A central attitude influences the others, so it is <strong>more difficult to change</strong> than a peripheral (less significant) one.
NCERT (2026-27): “Factors that Influence Attitude Change … “Box 6.2 attitude change. In general, positive attitudes are easier to change than negative attitudes are. Extreme attitudes, and central attitudes are more difficult to change than the less extreme, and peripheral (less significant) attitudes are. Simple attitudes are easier to change than multiple attitudes are.” |