“Why are you setting yourself up for bad things?” - everyone has heard this phrase at least once when they were afraid of something, were upset, or did not want to get down to business, believing that nothing would work out. Agree, sometimes this is wildly annoying. What does “don’t set yourself up” mean? Can we really control our mood so easily? It turns out we can.
In this article we will tell you:
- What are installations and why do we need them?
- How human attitudes are formed.
- Attitudes that slow us down on the path to happiness.
- How to discover your “inhibiting” attitudes?
- How to get rid of interfering settings.
It happens that we receive a long-awaited job offer, but we refuse it without understanding why. We see a chance for change in our personal lives, but we do nothing. Instead of joy and anticipation of something new, we are overcome by a strange feeling, as if something is slowing us down and forcing us to act according to a certain pattern. This something is our attitudes.
Story
The concept arose after a study by W. Thomas and F. Znaniecki was published in 1918. Scientists analyzed letters from people who emigrated from Poland to the United States. It turned out that when emigrants went to a foreign country, having determined for themselves that this was a temporary need to earn money, the period of their adaptation passed slowly and, one might say, even painfully. They had a hard time learning the language and culture and for a long time they could not get along in the new place.
But there were also those who moved with the idea of staying in the country forever and starting life anew. And such individuals adapted to unusual conditions much faster and more productively.
As a result of these observations, the researchers concluded that each individual consciously or subconsciously forms an internal attitude towards his own presence in the United States. And existence and motivation depend on it. This phenomenon is called “attitude”.
But this was only the beginning of studying this issue. In 1929, Lewis Thurstone created the first ways to measure installations. He began to assert the presence of an emotional factor in its structure.
There were also opposing opinions. For example, scientist V. Park believed that the state is not subject to direct observation. It is latent in nature and develops through life experience.
Besides this, there were many other theories. But the work of W. Thomas and F. Znaniecki gave impetus to their emergence and development and made the phenomenon central to psychology.
Value orientations
Let's consider the highest level of the disposition hierarchy. It is characterized by the formation of value orientations not only on the goals of life, but also on the means necessary to achieve the goals. The fourth level includes higher social needs. In this case, an important factor becomes a person’s life position, into which the individual’s self-awareness is transformed. This is nothing more than the principle of individual behavior, which is based on ideological attitudes, norms and ideals, social values, as well as readiness to act.
Thanks to the dispositional theory, direct connections were established between socio-psychological and sociological human behavior. At the same time, the highest forms of attitudes according to Yadov include:
- value orientations and life concept;
- generalized attitudes towards typical social situations and objects;
- predisposition to behavior and perception in existing conditions and in a given social and subject environment.
Value orientations are understood as the attitude of a person or group of people to the totality of spiritual and material goods, considered as objects or their properties, goals, as well as means to satisfy the needs of the individual or group. This concept is expressed in the meaning of life, in ideals, and manifests itself in the social behavior of people. Value orientations reflect the subject’s attitude to the current conditions of his existence, which is the result of a conscious choice of objects and items that are significant for the individual.
The concept of social attitude
Defining this term is not the easiest task. Discussing in Capital about such a phenomenon as the “commodity”, Karl Marx joked that it was not clear from which side to take it. The same is true with attitude. I'll go from the beginning.
From the very beginning, the concept represented the psychophysiological readiness of the human body to react to certain aspirations and stimuli. Researchers such as L. Lange, and later T. Schumann and G. Müller noticed that when an individual does the same thing, he develops a predisposition to react to a certain external event.
Around the beginning of the 20th century, the term began to be used in various branches of psychology, in particular depth. K. Jung considered this phenomenon fundamental in order to reveal the mental and mental state that influences specific types of his behavior.
But the simplest and most understandable definition was given by the same Thomas and Znaniecki. In their opinion, the social attitude of an individual is the assimilation of a certain social value, which, in essence, is its subjective awareness. In other words, it is a generally accepted norm in the form of individual existence.
Let's take freedom, for example. Each individual perceives and follows it in his own way. Therefore, a person’s attitudinal state in relation to this phenomenon will be personal.
Therefore, we can say that this is a unique form of relationship between the individual and society. At the same time, it represents both a detail of the mental structure of an individual participant and an element of a system of generally accepted values.
Types of attitudes in psychology
This, first of all, includes a stereotype. This is a long-established and frozen perception of current situations. This term was first introduced by W. Lippmann. In his opinion, this is a historically accepted pattern of understanding, filtering and explaining the information received during the development of the surrounding reality. It is based on previous social experience.
It is useful in relation to simple events that can be contacted using familiar and confirmed ideas. But when a creative approach is required from a person, or an object has changed over time, but the understanding about it remains the same, then the stereotype slows down the procedure of interaction between the individual and reality.
Psychologist Daria Milai
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Another type is socialization. This is a kind of formation of a personality when she learns generally accepted patterns of behavior, social rules and norms, knowledge and skills that contribute to her successful activities in society. People begin to socialize from birth and continue throughout their life. This type is viewed from several angles. Namely, how:
- The process is the formation and development that occurs depending on the characteristics of a person and the nature of his contact with reality.
- The condition is the presence of society necessary for socialization.
- Manifestation is the individual's response to values. This takes into account his age and experience in conjunction with social relations.
- The result is a characteristic of the individual as a part of society.
There is also a type called prejudice. These are opinions or views that are based on distorted or inaccurate knowledge. An emotional component is also attributed to it. Thus, the phenomenon presupposes not only an incorrect perception of a certain aspect of reality, but also inadequate actions aimed at it. The most striking examples of social attitudes are racial or national prejudices.
Methods of influence
How to understand that you are guided by a psychological attitude:
- in your speech the words “must” and “must” prevail instead of “want”;
- you react emotionally to everything that happens (in a positive or negative way);
- you resort to generalizations (putting everyone under the same brush);
- you are carried away by value judgments and talk in stereotypes and sayings.
If you understand that the learned and habitual patterns of behavior are not leading you where you would like, then you need to change your beliefs. Remember that the quality and standard of your life, as well as your happiness and satisfaction with your life, depend on them. There are special methods or types of influence on oneself or another person in order to change attitudes.
Functions
The phenomenon performs four main roles:
- Self-protective. It resolves intrapersonal conflicts, protects individuals from unpleasant data about themselves or about things that are important to them. After all, everyone tries to think in such a way as to protect themselves from unwanted information.
- Adaptive or utilitarian. These are adaptive tendencies that increase rewards and reduce losses. The attitude directs the individual towards objects that can help him achieve what he wants. For example, when a subject supports certain views, he deserves the approval of others and is accepted in the company. Because a particular group is attracted to those who have similar ideas.
- Expression of values (self-realization). Through this function, the individual has the opportunity to express his opinion and adjust his own behavior to it. When he carries out actions in accordance with his attitudes, he realizes himself in relation to social objects. This aspect helps a person understand who he really is and what he is like.
- Organization of knowledge. Through it, a person organizes the surrounding reality in a semantic sense. She acquires the ability to evaluate information from the outside world and correlate it with motives, aspirations or interests. Thanks to this, the process of social cognition occurs.
Doubts again?
It may seem to you that it is impossible to change in this way, that you need to spend a lot of time on it. If you think that this is a long, painful, painful process, that you cannot simply change your beliefs, think about this thought! Maybe you're scared to change? Maybe we should change this idea too?
Think about what prevents you from accepting new attitudes? Do you want to love yourself and others? Are you ready to seek love by loving, rather than expecting others to love you first? Are you able to let go of the past and reach for the future? Do you want to take responsibility for your life and agree that we ourselves create our reality? Think about it.
Give up feeling sorry for yourself, do not shift responsibility to other people. Your beliefs sit deep, so resistance may arise, you will find new arguments to confirm your old thoughts.
If you change your belief, but your life and feeling of life do not change, then, in fact, your attitude has not changed. Changes are hampered by deeper attitudes, track and analyze them.
If you follow these recommendations, your sense of life may begin to change within a few days, some may take longer, but either way you will feel a change.
I wish you success in mastering these exercises. This is a very important step towards gaining basic self-confidence. If you have any questions about doing the exercises, feel free to write to me in the section by email
Maxim Vasilchenko, graphologist
Formation of social attitudes
Let us note that their formation is gradual and sometimes even imperceptible. After all, what we generalized today becomes a firm belief for us in a couple of weeks.
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Mental activity works according to a specific algorithm developed on generalizations and assessments. This program makes the functioning of the brain much easier. After all, every time a person encounters a phenomenon that is already familiar to him, he does not have to waste energy on analyzing it. Since he already has a scheme that leads to quick actions.
The main characteristic of this phenomenon is its versatility. After all, at the same time it represents skills and abilities, sensations and emotions, reactions and the desire to act in a certain way.
But attitude can not only help, but also create obstacles. Of course, with its help we focus on important things, but at the same time, such patterns can lead to the wrong path. I will help you understand what is good and what is not, and also get rid of interfering beliefs in my personal consultation.
I have already talked about how social attitudes are related to individual behavior and what it is in general. But such a complex concept categorically cannot be viewed from one angle. After all, the term exists in different areas of psychology. Which is worth mentioning.
Behaviorist approach
Behaviorism implies that an individual's actions depend on the influence of the external environment. An individual is just a complex of behavioral reactions (actions that help to avoid or, conversely, adapt to reality). And everything that does not belong to materiality - thoughts, emotions, consciousness - cannot be studied and used to correct behavior. Only how a person reacts to certain situations and motives is considered real.
In this regard, the attitude in this movement represents an intermediate category between an objective stimulus (any influence of reality on the body) and the surrounding world. People have virtually no influence on its formation. This happens thanks to:
- Positive reinforcement - when actions are rewarded, an attitude appears.
- Observation. The personality looks at others and analyzes the consequences of their actions.
- Formation of a connection between stimulation and existing social factors.
Cognitive approach
It was formed on the basis of several theories (dissonance according to L. Festinger, congruence according to C. Osgood and P. Tannenbaum and communicative acts according to T. Newcome). But one thing generalizes them - this is a person’s desire to come to internal agreement.
In simpler terms, the emergence of such attitudes is based on the fact that the individual wants to resolve his personal contradictions that have arisen due to the inconsistency of values among themselves.
Motivational
Followers of this method categorically reject the behaviorist method and believe that the individual is by no means a passive participant, but, on the contrary, an active participant. After all, she is capable of forming, changing and modifying her own views and actions. And this is done by weighing all the pros and cons.
I will highlight two theories for the implementation of attitudes:
- Expected benefits - the individual estimates the maximum benefit from whether or not he accepts the new value.
- Cognitive response - occurs in connection with a positive or negative reaction.
Genetic approach
Proponents of this category explain the formation of attitudes from a genetic point of view, namely:
- intelligence abilities;
- innate character traits and temperament;
- biochemical factors.
Plus, they assume the existence of acquired aspects of behavior, but innate ones, in their opinion, are much stronger.
Structural
Its “foundation” is based on the idea that attitude is a function of a system of interpersonal relationships. The individual compares his views with those of others and tries to understand how to change his own for more productive socialization.
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Wisdom from the people
Historical events necessarily leave their mark on people's consciousness. For example, if you look at a woman who survived the war, she understands that she can only rely on herself.
Unconsciously, these attitudes are passed on to children, which affects their lives in modern society. Folk wisdom can also be attributed to this point. Various proverbs and sayings can become fundamental in life.
Structure and components of social attitude
In 1942, scientist M. Smith developed his own attitude device. This includes aspects such as:
- behavioral – actions regarding the object;
- affective – emotional assessment of it;
- cognitive – its awareness.
All these factors are interconnected. Therefore, if one of them changes, it will affect the others in a certain way.
But in 1934, Richard LaPierre discovered a phenomenon where a person acts inconsistently with his own views. But he was soon challenged by J. Boehm, who believes that it is not the attitude that influences decisions, but, on the contrary, activity that shapes it.
What attitudes of a person slow him down on the path to happiness?
We have collected some popular “harmful” attitudes that are easy to detect in yourself; you don’t even need to run to a psychologist. These are attitudes from different areas that can hinder development and simply significantly reduce the quality of life. Let's look at the statements below and count how many of them “work” in our lives. To do this, it is enough to carefully, slowly read each point and honestly admit to ourselves which of them we internally agree with.
Attitudes that prevent you from developing and being happy:
- I will never succeed.
- I can't handle such a load.
- I'll never be lucky.
- I have no talent.
- I have a bad memory (no mathematical abilities, congenital illiteracy, etc.).
- Nobody will listen to me.
- Everyone is laughing at me.
- I don't know how to speak in public.
- Happiness is for the weak.
- Only stupid people are happy.
Attitudes that prevent us from being healthy:
- I get sick often.
- I'll never recover.
- I have such a constitution.
- To rest means to be lazy.
- Doctors cannot be trusted.
- They love me when I'm weak.
- Healthy eating is expensive.
- Depression only happens to lazy people.
- Asking for help and feeling sorry for yourself is shameful.
- It's even harder for others.
Attitudes that interfere with building relationships:
- Nobody needs/needs me with such an appearance (without money, with children, etc. - add as necessary).
- No body understands me.
- All men/women cheat.
- A man must take the initiative.
- A woman should not call first.
- The husband must support his wife.
- Men are only interested in sex.
- Women are only interested in money.
- After the wedding, the romance goes away.
- We are not right for each other.
- Children ruin lives.
Levels
- the simplest form – regulates behavior in everyday life;
- social;
- basic social – the individual’s attitude to his areas of life (profession and work, interests, family);
- instrumental - acceptance and inclusion in the set of norms that have developed in society.
Attitude controls activity at 3 hierarchical stages:
- Semantic - is of a general nature and determines people’s position towards objects and events that are important to them.
- Target. Determines the relatively stable course of functioning and has a connection with the desire to bring the task to its logical conclusion.
- Operational. The perception of a specific phenomenon occurs through previous experience, as well as through forecasting the possibilities of productive actions and decision-making under certain circumstances.
General orientation of the individual
Let's consider the third level of disposition. It characterizes the general orientation of the individual into a certain sphere of social action. At this level, a person’s needs regarding his social connections become more complex. For example, an individual strives to join one or another area of activity, wanting to turn it into the main dominant sphere.
Here options such as professionalism, leisure or family may be considered. In this case, a person’s purposeful and consistent actions form the basis of his behavior in the area of activity where he pursues more distant and significant goals.
How to replace negative experiences with positive beliefs
All this, of course, is good - an attentive reader might say - but how, in fact, in real life can you replace your negative experiences with positive beliefs? After all, it is impossible to redo the foundation of a house without destroying the house itself.
Of course this is correct. But even if the plans for an existing house have changed, no one forbids building a new one in accordance with their desires and needs.
There are many facts confirming the possibility of building a new, more spacious house on the site of an old one without destroying it. So, a box of a new building is erected around the old one on a new foundation, the necessary finishing work is carried out, and only then the old house is dismantled.
This results in the so-called nesting doll principle, when an old and dilapidated house finds itself inside a new, spacious and beautiful building: the old house was dismantled and disposed of, but the new one remains. The method, of course, is very expensive, but has a right to exist.
Correct life attitudes and their interaction with each other
In the matter of a person’s internal attitudes or beliefs, everything turns out to be a little different, since this concept has an energy-informational structure. And as you know, some types of energy can be replaced by others, you just have to pay the necessary attention to this.
As an example, let's try to use the well-known concept of money. I think that any of us can remember quite a lot of negative statements and proverbs dedicated to the topic of money.
But the question is whether this will be beneficial. After all, a negative attitude towards money in our minds, which actually represents a bad life experience, creates very serious, and sometimes even insurmountable, obstacles to its appearance in our real life.
It turns out that if I speak negatively about money, I thereby direct my energy to ensure that it does not appear in my life under any circumstances. After all, if money is evil, then you must always avoid this evil at all costs.
No matter how hard I try to increase my cash flow in this case, the amount of money in my wallet will never change exactly until I see something positive in it for myself and formulate a new positive attitude.
One has only to believe and admit that money is enormous freedom and ample opportunities for one’s own development and improving the quality of life, and the opportunity immediately arises for the formation of a new positive attitude.
And if you can formulate this statement in the form of a short and sonorous slogan or motto, as Winnie the Pooh did with his chants and screams, and constantly feed it with your energy, then you can be sure that a new positive attitude will gradually displace the old negative belief from consciousness.
Positive life attitude of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet
This algorithm of actions helps to replace any negative beliefs with new positive attitudes in almost all areas of life. It’s hard to even imagine what incredible heights a person can achieve (in the good sense of the word) if he regularly practices this way of thinking and relating to the world around him.
