Discuss Attitude as a Hypothetical Construct.

A hypothetical construct can be defined as an abstract concept used in a particular theoretical manner to relate different behaviours according to their underlying features or causes. This means that it is a term that is considered to reflect a combination of behaviours or terms, An attitude is a hypothetical construct that represents an individual’s degree of like or dislike for an item. Attitudes are generally positive or negative views of a person, place, thing, or event this is often referred to as the attitude object.

People can also be conflicted or ambivalent toward an object, meaning that they simultaneously: possess both positive and negative attitudes towards the item in question.

Attitudes are judgements. They develop on the ABC model (Affect, Behavior, and Cognition). The affective response is an emotional response that expresses an individual’s degree of preference for an entity. The behavioral intention is a verbal indication or typical behavioral tendency of an individual. The cognitive response is a cognitive evaluation of the entity that constitutes an individual’s beliefs about the object. Most attitudes are the result of either direct experience or observational learning from the environment.