Attitude-behavior consistency

Attitude-behaviour consistency is a central concept in social psychology that examines the relationship between individual’s attitudes and their behaviour.

An attitude is a psychological construct ranging from positive to negative that reflects an individual's evaluation of an object, person or issue.

[8] There are five variables in the formula: point of resolution for object (RO), point of resolution for source (RS), prior attitude toward object (AO), prior attitude toward source (AS), and direction of assertion (d; no gradation).

A college freshman may disapprove of binge drinking, only to subsequently become socialized to practice and celebrate doing so in the course of tailgating.

Social desirability bias may also skew self-reported attitudes that affect prima-facie attitude-behaviour consistency.

Low-self monitoring enhances attitude-consistent behaviour because individuals are less influenced by external social cues or expectations.

High self monitoring may decrease attitude-consistent behaviour because more precedence is given to external pressures over internal beliefs.

It is measured by an individual's reaction time to evaluate an attitude object where faster responses suggest higher accessibility.

Weak attitudes are more likely to be influenced by context, situational factors, and social pressures, thus leading to less consistent behavior.

Attitude-behavior consistency is an important concept for social science research because claims are often made about behavior based on evidence which is really about attitudes.

Internet research makes it possible to study a wide array of behaviors that leave traces online.

These include how meaning is created, the significance of events to individuals, emotion, semiotics, representation and opinions.