_________ are attitudes that contain a 'should' or 'ought' aspect.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Values
Option (1) Beliefs — Incorrect. Beliefs are the cognitive component of attitudes and form the ground on which attitudes stand, such as belief in God or in democracy. A belief says what is, not what should be.
Option (2) Values — Correct. Values are attitudes or beliefs that contain a ‘should’ or ‘ought’ aspect, such as moral or ethical values: one should work hard, or one should always be honest. They form when a belief or attitude becomes an inseparable part of a person’s outlook on life, so they are difficult to change.
Option (3) Stereotypes — Incorrect. A stereotype is a cluster of ideas regarding the characteristics of a specific group, assumed to be true of all its members. It describes a group; it carries no ‘ought’.
Option (4) Prejudice — Incorrect. Prejudices are attitudes towards a particular group, usually negative and often based on stereotypes. They are about liking or disliking a group, not about how one should behave.
Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 30-05-2023 (Slot 1).
NCERT (2025-26): “Nature and Components of Attitudes … Attitudes have to be distinguished from two other closely related concepts, namely, beliefs and values. Beliefs refer to the cognitive component of attitudes, and form the ground on which attitudes stand, such as belief in God, or belief in democracy as a political ideology. Values are attitudes or beliefs that contain a ‘should’ or ‘ought’ aspect, such as moral or ethical values. One example of a value is the idea that one should work hard, or that one should always be honest, because honesty is the best policy. Values are formed when a particular belief or attitude becomes an inseparable part of the person’s outlook on life. Consequently, values are difficult to change.…” “Prejudice and Discrimination … Prejudices are examples of attitudes towards a particular group. They are usually negative, and in many cases, may be based on stereotypes (the cognitive component) about the specific group. As will be discussed below in the section on social cognition, a stereotype is a cluster of ideas regarding the characteristics of a specific group. All members belonging to this group are assumed to possess these characteristics.…” |