Complete Summary and Solutions for Attitude and Social Cognition – NCERT Class XII Psychology, Chapter 6 – Explanation, Key Terms, Questions, and Answers

Detailed summary and explanation of Chapter 6 ‘Attitude and Social Cognition’ from the NCERT Class XII Psychology textbook, covering attitude formation, components, change, prejudice, discrimination, social behaviour, and strategies for handling prejudice—along with all key terms, project ideas, and NCERT questions with answers.

Updated: 5 days ago

Categories: NCERT, Class XII, Psychology, Chapter 6, Attitude and Social Cognition, Social Behaviour, Attitude Formation, Prejudice, Discrimination, Summary, Questions, Answers, Learning, Cognition
Tags: Attitude and Social Cognition, Psychology, NCERT, Class 12, Attitudes, Prejudice, Discrimination, Social Psychology, Behaviour, Cognitive Dissonance, Attitude Change, Social Influence, Summary, Explanation, Questions, Answers, Chapter 6, Class XII Psychology
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Attitude and Social Cognition - Class 12 Psychology Chapter 6 Ultimate Study Guide 2025

Attitude and Social Cognition

Chapter 6: Psychology - Ultimate Study Guide | NCERT Class 12 Notes, Questions, Examples & Quiz 2025

Full Chapter Summary & Detailed Notes - Attitude and Social Cognition Class 12 NCERT

Overview & Key Concepts

  • Chapter Goal: Understand attitudes, their nature, components, formation, change, relationship with behavior, prejudice, discrimination, and strategies to handle prejudice. Exam Focus: A-B-C components, formation processes (association, reward/punishment, modelling, norms, information), change theories (balance, dissonance, two-step), prejudice sources. 2025 Updates: Links to social media influence on attitudes, modern prejudice (e.g., online bias), cognitive dissonance in misinformation. Fun Fact: Festinger's $20 lie experiment showed dissonance reduction. Core Idea: Attitudes as evaluative tendencies influencing behavior; interlinks to social influence (Ch7). Real-World: Green campaigns changing environmental attitudes. Expanded: All subtopics point-wise with evidence (e.g., Heider's P-O-X, Mohsin's two-step), examples (e.g., dowry imbalance), debates (e.g., consistency vs. inconsistency in attitudes).
  • Wider Scope: From common sense to psychological explanations; sources: Boxes (6.1 Green Environment, 6.2 Telling a Lie), activities (mental exercise on opinions).
  • Expanded Content: Include socio-cultural factors, role of media, psychometric vs. process-oriented change; multi-disciplinary (e.g., sociology in prejudice, cognition in attitudes).
Box 6.1: A ‘Green Environment’ : The A-B-C Components of an Attitude Description

Illustrates attitude with tree plantation: Cognitive (positive view), Affective (happy/sad emotions), Behavioural (participate). Diagram: Triangle with A-B-C interconnected; shows consistency or inconsistency.

Introduction

  • Social Psychology: Investigates behavior affected by others/social environment; forms attitudes about topics/people.
  • Social Behaviors: Seem simple but complex processes; explain beyond common sense/folk wisdom.
  • Expanded: Evidence: Social influences shape views; debates: Trait vs. situational; real: Group presence changes actions.

Explaining Social Behaviour

  • Social Behaviour: Necessary for human life; beyond mere company; actual/imagined/implied presence of others.
  • Attitudes: Views/behavioral tendencies from social influences; study social-cognitive processes/behavior.
  • Expanded: Evidence: Psychologists explain diverse behaviors; debates: Common sense limits; real: Attitudes guide new situations.

Nature and Components of Attitudes

  • Opinions to Attitudes: Opinions as thoughts; attitudes if emotional/action components; state of mind with evaluative feature (positive/negative/neutral).
  • A-B-C Components: Affective (emotional), Behavioural (action tendency), Cognitive (thoughts/beliefs).
  • Distinctions: Beliefs (cognitive base), Values (should/ought aspect).
  • Purpose: Provide blueprint for actions in new situations.
  • Features: Valence (pos/neg), Extremeness (degree), Simplicity/Complexity (number of attitudes), Centrality (influence on system).
  • Expanded: Evidence: Nuclear research rating (1-5 scale); debates: Consistency expectation; real: Green attitude A-B-C (Box 6.1).
Attitude Features Diagram Description

Four quadrants: Valence (pos/neg axis), Extremeness (intensity scale), Complexity (single/multi arrows), Centrality (core influencing peripherals).

Attitude Formation and Change

Attitude Formation

  • Processes: Association (link positives), Reward/Punishment (praise develops), Modelling (observe others), Norms (group rules), Information (media/biographies).
  • Factors: Family/School (early shaping), Reference Groups (norms/reward), Personal Experiences (drastic change), Media (good/bad influences).
  • Expanded: Evidence: Yoga praise positive; debates: Genetic indirect; real: Driver's village uplift.

Attitude Change

  • Processes: Balance (Heider P-O-X: imbalance uncomfortable), Dissonance (Festinger: consonant cognitions), Two-Step (Mohsin: identify then change).
  • Expanded: Evidence: Dowry triangle imbalance; debates: Cognitive consistency; real: Pan masala dissonance (Box 6.2).
Box 6.2: Telling a Lie for Twenty Dollars Description

Festinger/Carlsmith experiment: $1/$20 groups; low pay dissonance reduced by attitude change. Diagram: Cognitions I/II arrows to consonance.

P-O-X Triangle Diagram Description

Triangle: P (person), O (other), X (object); signs (+/-) for relations; balance when all + or two - one +.

Attitude-Behaviour Relationship

  • Link: Attitudes as tendencies, not direct behavior; consistency not always (e.g., green attitude weak action).
  • Expanded: Evidence: Predict based on components; debates: Situational factors; real: Positive view no participation.

Prejudice and Discrimination

  • Prejudice: Negative attitude toward group; stereotypes/scapegoating/intergroup conflict/learning sources.
  • Discrimination: Negative behavior from prejudice.
  • Expanded: Evidence: Caste/gender biases; debates: Inborn vs. learned; real: Kernel of truth in stereotypes.

Strategies for Handling Prejudice

  • Education/Contact: Intergroup interaction, highlight individual differences.
  • Expanded: Evidence: Cooperative goals reduce; debates: Contact conditions; real: School integration.

Why This Guide Stands Out

Comprehensive: All subtopics point-wise, 10+ diagram/box descriptions; 2025 with links (e.g., media in change), theories analyzed for depth.

Key Themes & Tips

  • Aspects: Attitudes nature, formation/change, behavior link, prejudice strategies.
  • Tip: Memorize A-B-C, formation processes, change theories; compare tables; debate consistency.

Exam Case Studies

P-O-X dowry; dissonance pan masala; prejudice sources.

Project & Group Ideas

  • Survey attitude change via media.
  • Debate: Is prejudice inevitable?
  • Role-play dissonance reduction.