Attitudes predict behavior even without attentional focus

Evidence

Evidence concerning the strength of attitude-behavior relations has generally been regarded as the primary evidence bearing on predictive validity of the attitude construct. However, there are other categories of studies in which strong predictive effects that involve attitudes are routinely obtained. Examination of these now will indicate that some strong effects of attitude can and do occur when the actor is not attentionally focused on the attitude. These findings play a central role in justifying the concept of implicit attitude. — Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, Implicit Social Cognition, 79

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Attitudes only strongly predict behavior under conditions of strong activation and perceived relevance — Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, Implicit Social Cognition: Attitudes,…, 55; Research practice overwhelmingly assumes attitudes operate consciously — Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, Implicit Social Cognition: Attitudes,…, 78; Inference bias stems from self-centered attention, not self-serving favoritism (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Implicit biases can be consciously overridden through deliberate attention #contradicts (0.85) — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 1362
• Making an implicit self-esteem cue salient does not by itself diminish its influence. #corroborates (0.82) — Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, Implicit Social Cognition, 246
• Motivational reasoning biases perception without requiring conscious wishful thinking #exemplifies (0.78)
• Implicit attitudes are past-experience traces not introspectively identified by the actor. #expands (0.76) — Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, Implicit Social Cognition, 80
• Inference bias stems from self-centered attention, not self-serving favoritism #complicates (0.75)
• Attitudes often form instantly without any introspectively accessible basis #expands (0.72) — Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, Implicit Social Cognition, 106