Persuasion and Attitude Change

An attitude is a learned, stable, and relatively enduring evaluation of a person, object or idea that can influence an individual's behavior. However, sometimes individuals' attitudes on particular issues change through two main processes: persuasion and cognitive consistency. Persuasion, or any attempt to change an attitude or behavior naturally varies in form depending on the individual and the situation in which it takes place. Therefore it is best classified through three basic approaches: the central, …

…remorse and have no reason to change his attitude towards cheating. From these psychological findings on attitude change, it becomes clear that a number of mechanisms have the potential to produce change in a variety of ways and under an array of circumstances. While persuasion occurs most often when a person attempts to persuade another individual's attitude, the theory of Cognitive Consistency holds that behavior can also influence attitude change and can come from within.