NCJ Number
85693
Date Published
1982
Length
30 pages
Annotation
This essay presents functional and compositional definitions of an attitude and discusses the scientific basis and methods for correcting debilitating social attitudes.
Abstract
An attitude is a composite of three variable mental conditions or sets: (1) 'an object of attention; (2) an active goal; and (3) an element of perceptual hostility, fear, or love. With its 'object of attention,' an existing attitude designates the source of the data a mind is to process. With its perceptual set of hostility, fear, or love, it controls the class of perceptions that will result from processing that data. The attitude of the moment thus selects and controls what is to be the perceived reality in a mind. By encompassing both the perceived reality and the active desired reality, attitude delineates the tension that prompts behavior, so as to designate the present purpose of behavior. Perceptual hostility begets judgmental and behavioral hatred, which intensifies the perceptual hostility. As a consequence, a life of destruction tends to result. Perceptual fear begets judgmental and behavioral fright, which in turn intensifies the fear, resulting in a life of avoidance, flight, and negativism, a life pattern conducive to addictions and suicidal behavior patterns. Perceptual love excludes both hostility and fear and protects the mind and behavior from negativism and destruction. An important method for changing destructive social attitudes is the Regulatory Speech System, which contains, organizes, and uses words to construct social attitudes and social values. Such a system has been used in Dougherty County, Ga., with significant beneficial effects. Exercises used in this method are appended. Seventeen references are provided.