Attitudes only strongly predict behavior under conditions of strong activation and perceived relevance

Evidence

Attitudes are favorable or unfavorable dispositions toward social objects, such as people, places, and policies. Attempts to establish the validity of the attitude construct have most often sought to demonstrate positive correlations between measured attitudes and the favorable-unfavorable aspect of observed behavior toward their objects. The frequently weak correlations observed in these attempts define the predictive validity problem for attitudes (documented especially by Wicker, 1969; see also Festinger, 1964, and LaPiere, 1934). A notable accomplishment of modern research on attitudes has been the solution of this predictive validity problem. That is, conditions under which attitudes strongly correlate with behavior have now been well identified (especially by Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980; Fazio, 1986, 1990b; Fazio & Zanna, 1981; Fishbein & Ajzen, 1974; Zanna & Fazio, 1982). — Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, Implicit Social Cognition, 55

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Attitudes predict behavior even without attentional focus — Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, Implicit Social Cognition: Attitudes,…, 79; Sustained motivation plus automatic control mechanisms can fully break the prejudice habit — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2112; Research practice overwhelmingly assumes attitudes operate consciously — Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, Implicit Social Cognition: Attitudes,…, 78

Broader Connections

• Attitudes predict behavior even without attentional focus #contradicts (0.92) — Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, Implicit Social Cognition, 79
• Sustained motivation plus automatic control mechanisms can fully break the prejudice habit #qualifies (0.75) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2112