An event-coding account of attitudes

Abstract

Attitudes (or opinions, preferences, biases, stereotypes) can be considered bindings of the perceptual features of the attitudes’ object to affective codes with positive or negative connotations, which effectively renders them “event files” in terms of the Theory of Event Coding. We tested a particularly interesting implication of this theoretical account: that affective codes might “migrate” from one event file to another (i.e., effectively function as a component of one while actually being part of another), if the two files overlap in terms of other features. We tested this feature-migration hypothesis by having participants categorize pictures of fictitious outer space characters as members of two fictitious races by pressing a left or right key, and to categorize positive and negative pictures of the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) as positive and negative by using the same two keys. When the outer space characters were later rated for likability, members of the race that was categorized by means of the same key as positive IAPS pictures were liked significantly more than members of the race that was categorized with the same key as negative IAPS pictures – suggesting that affective feature codes from the event files for the IAPS pictures effectively acted as an ingredient of event files for the outer space characters that shared the same key. These findings were fully replicated in a second experiment in which the two races were replaced by two unfamiliar fonts. These outcomes are consistent with the claim that attitudes, opinions, and preferences are represented in terms of event files and created by feature binding.

Reluctance against the machine: Retrieval of observational stimulus–response episodes in online settings emerges when interacting with a human, but not with a computer partner

“…Fourth, the present data fit well with existing evidence of social relevance modulations that was gathered in the dyadic face-to-face version of the observational SR binding paradigm (Giesen et al, 2014;Giesen et al, 2016;Giesen et al, 2018;. On a more general level, our data document that basic binding and retrieval principles are not limited to self-performed actions, but are vividly active also in the social realm (for similar conclusions, see Hommel, 2018;Hommel & Colzato, 2015;Hommel & Stevenson, 2021;Kim & Hommel, 2015). Importantly, our findings demonstrate that social learning from observation is not limited to live, face-to-face interactions, but also occurs in virtual, online interactions.…”

“…Similar to social learning, retrieval of observationally acquired SR episodes is strongly affected by the social relevance between models and observers and is contingent on (a) situationally or chronically interdependent relations (e.g., cooperation/competition, Giesen et al, 2014, or interacting with one's romantic partner, Giesen et al, 2018) and (b) positive vicarious feedback (Giesen et al, 2016). This insight is particularly important, as it suggests that basic processes like stimulus-response binding and retrieval are pervasive principles of action regulation (Frings et al, 2020;Henson et al, 2014), which are not limited to self-performed actions but also apply to social phenomena (Hommel, 2018;Hommel & Colzato, 2015;Hommel & Stevenson, 2021;Kim & Hommel, 2015Ma et al, 2019).…”

A Survey Of Elementary School Students’ Attitudes Towards English Language Learning In Manipur

“…Attitudes can be seen as automatic associations between an object and its evaluation, which can be either spontaneous and uncontrollable or controlled and reflective (Hill, 1994). Alternatively, attitudes can be considered as bindings of perceptual features of an object to affective codes, forming "event files" that may involve the migration of affective codes between different files (Hommel & Stevenson, 2021). Attitudes in English language learning encompass cognitive, behavioral, and emotional aspects.…”