Individual and Group Dynamics in the Behaviour Process

Actualizing Behavioural Change (ABC) Knowledge Series

Dr. Oluwatosin Ilevbare Dr. Oluwafemi Famakinde

Postdoctoral Research Fellows

Social Policy Department

Vector Stock

Outline

• Preamble
• Attitude
• Behaviour
• The link between Attitude and Behaviour
• Behaviour Analysis at Different Levels
• Individual Behaviour Dynamics
• Group Behaviour Dynamic
• Models of Behaviour and Change

Attitude

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• An attitude is ‘a psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favour or disfavour’ Eagly and Chaiken (1993)

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• Attitude is defined as a disposition or tendency to respond positively or negatively towards a certain thing (idea, object, person, and situation).

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• It refers to a set of emotions, beliefs, and behaviours toward a particular object, person, thing, or event.

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• Attitude is the non-observable component of WHY we do what we do.

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• Attitude can be positive or negative
• Attitude can be measured through implicit (indirect) and explicit (direct) means
• Every human being holds thousands of attitudes, family and friends, political figures, human rights, terrorism, preferences for music, etc

Multi-components of Attitude

The cognitive component refers to beliefs, thoughts and attributes associated with an attitude object.

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The affective component refers to feelings or emotions associated with an attitude object.

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The behavioural component refers to past behaviours with respect to an attitude object.

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In carrying out my duties, I believe that the responsible thing to do is to be honest and have high integrity.

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 I feel fulfilled when I engage in anti-corrupt practices.

 I refuse to demand or collect bribes from the public.

How are Attitudes formed?

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Ambivalence of an attitude refers to the ratio of positive and negative evaluations that make up that attitude. The ambivalence of an attitude increases as the positive and negative evaluations get more and more equal.

Functions of Attitude

• Attitude serves 3 functions (Smith et al. 1956):

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• Object Appraisal (ability of attitudes to summarize the positive and negative attributes of objects in our social world)

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• Social adjustment (attitudes that help us to identify with people we like and to dissociate from people we dislike)

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• Externalization (is fulfilled by attitudes that defend the self against internal conflict e.g protecting one’s self-esteem)

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Behaviour

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 They are actions or reactions of a person in response to external or internal stimulus situation

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Why do we need to understand Behaviour?

• Behaviour is much unpredictable

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• By understanding behaviour one can predict, direct, change and control behaviour of individuals or group.

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• Understanding past behaviour is important for developing effective human skills, and it also provides a framework for predicting behaviour

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Model of Behaviour

Determinants of Individual Behaviour

Attitude Behaviour

• Do attitudes determine Behaviour? Sometimes

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• Does behaviour determine Attitude? Sometimes

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• However, attitudes do determine behaviour in most situations.

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• Mr. John has an attitude that demanding bribe is morally wrong. When he is financially buoyant at the beginning of the month, he does not engage in bribery acts. However, by the middle of the month, when he is less financially stable, he indulges in corrupt practices.

To what extent does attitude predict individual behaviour?

• The role of personal variables

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• It depends upon the strength of the attitude

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• It depends upon the domain of behaviour

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• When there is correspondence between attitudinal and behavioural measures

Group Behaviour Dynamics

• Group dynamics refers to the attitudinal and behavioural characteristics of a group.

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• Group dynamics concern how groups form, their structure and process, and how they function.

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• The study of group dynamics is useful in understanding decision-making behaviour

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Principles of Group Dynamics

Group Formation

Factors that determine Group Behaviour

• Group member resources (knowledge, abilities, skills; and personality characteristics)

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• Structure (group size, group roles, group norms, and group cohesiveness)

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• Group processes (the communication, group decision making processes, power dynamics, conflicting interactions, etc.)

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• Group tasks (complexity and interdependence).

Groups and Decision Making

• Group has a role in the direction of empowering or changing the attitude of individual.
• If the individual attitude is compatible with the group norms, this reinforces the attitude.

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• If the individual’s attitude is contrary to the group norms, there begins pressure to change this attitude.

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• Groupthink occurs when members of a group exert pressure on each other to come to a consensus in decision making.

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• Highly cohesive groups are more vulnerable to groupthink.

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• Groupthink results in careless judgments, unrealistic appraisals of alternative courses of action, and a lack of reality testing.

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Adding some Perspectives…………..

• Do citizen’s attitudes towards politicians predict citizen’s voting behaviour?

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• Would an individual who possess a positive attitude towards the environment engage in recycling behaviour?

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• Do beliefs about the inadequacy of policemen’s salary affect citizens’ willingness to give them bribe?

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• Would a public servant’s attitude towards accountability predict honest practices in handling government’s fund?

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• Will a law enforcement officer act the same or differently when with a group of colleagues in a compromising situation?

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Conclusion

Models of Behaviour and Change

Pinterest.com

This is because…

• People are products of habits (Palmer, 2020)

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• Information and exhortation are among the least effective ways of influencing behaviour (Bandura, 1977; Prager, 2012)

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• Humans are focused on the short-term not the long-term (Kollmuss and Agyeman, 2002; Fisher, 2020)

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• Humans do not necessarily respond well to being told what to do (Branson et al., 2012; Gillihan, 2020)

Models of Behaviour & Change

• BEHAVIOURAL MODELS
• MODELS OF BEHAVIOUR
• Observational Learning

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• Reasoned Action

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• Planned Behaviour

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• MODELS OF BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
• Balance

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• Cognitive Dissonance

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• Yale Attitude

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Observational Learning

• By Albert Bandura (1985)

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• Involves acquiring new or changing behaviour through watching others behaviour

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• Person or actor being observed is “the MODEL”

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• Also called Vicarious Learning, is the most effective form of learning (Hoover et. al.,2012)

Observational Learning consists…

• ATTENTION: Attention and consideration is given to the displayed behaviour in the model
• RETENTION: The behaviour is observed and the model must be remembered
• REPRODUCTION: The Learner must be able to enact the learned behaviour
• MOTIVATION: There must be a need for the learner to reproduce the learned behaviour

Reproduced Behaviour!!!

Reasoned Action & Planned Behaviour

• Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) by Fishbein & Ajzen (1975)

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• Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) by by Ajzen (1985, 1991)

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• Predicts an individual’s intention to engage in a behaviour at a specific time

Reasoned Action & Planned Behaviour

• Background factors
• Behavioural Beliefs

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• Evaluation of behavioural Outcomes
• Attitude toward Behaviour

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• Normative Beliefs
• Subjective Norm
• Behavioural Intention
• BEHAVIOUR

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• Motivation to Comply

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• Control Beliefs
• Perceived Behavioural Control

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• Perceived Power

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NB: Upper Blue shows ‘Reasoned Action’; Entire shows Planned Behaviour

Heider’s Balance Theory - Fritz Heider (1946)

• Explains the balance of cognitive consistency

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• Likes and dislikes are related to balance and imbalance

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• The search for coherence between attitudes and relations with others makes the balance neutral

Heider’s Balance Theory - Fritz Heider

• Bola

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• Bribery

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• Jide

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Likes

Crazy About

Dislikes

• Bola

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• Bribery

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• Jide

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Likes

Crazy About

Likes

• Bola

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• Bribery

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• Jide

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• Bola

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• Bribery

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• Jide

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Dislikes

Dislikes

Crazy About

Hate

Likes

Dislikes

Cognitive Dissonance

• Cognitive Dissonance
• Cognitive – thoughts, beliefs attitudes

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• Dissonance – Unpleasant state of tension and arousal

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• When a person has two cognitions which contradict each other

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• This uncomfortable feeling is resolved by changing attitude & behaviour

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Festinger, 1957

Yale Attitude Change

• SOURCE FACTORS
• Credibility: Expert, Trustworthiness/Self-interest, Likeability
• Attractiveness: Physical Appeal, Similarity

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• MESSAGE FACTORS
• Sidedness: One-sided VS Two-sided
• Subtlety/Emotional: Positive feeling VS Fear appeals

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• Discrepancy

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• AUDIENCE FACTORS
• Attention
• Intelligence
• Self Esteem
• Age

What was said?

To Whom?

Emphasis is placed on attention, comprehension, and acceptance... (Hovland, Janis & Kelley, 1953)

Attitude Inoculation

Conclusion

The choice of behaviour change model is dependent on ….

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• The target audience
• The behaviour to be changed
• Influencing factors.