1.5 Mental Process: Beliefs, Attitudes, Values, Needs, Motives and Behavior | Emotions and Cognitive Dissonance
… Hey there! Welcome to the fifth lesson of Unit 1. In this lesson, we will be covering Mental Process: Beliefs, Attitudes, Values, Needs, Motives and Behavior & Emotions and Cognitive Dissonance. As usual, I ask you to carefully study all these notes and think aloud or write down what you’ve learnt for effective memory. So, let’s get started.
हुन्छ Sir …..अब सुरु गरिहालौं!
Mental Process: Beliefs, Attitudes, Values, Needs, Motives and Behavior
Factors Affecting Mental Process
Mental process is the psychological activities that take place in an individual’s mind. It includes the way we think, feel, and perceive the world. The factors affecting mental process are:
1.Beliefs: Beliefs are things that we think are true. They can be based on our experiences, our culture, or what we have been taught. They can be about ourselves, the world, or other people. Beliefs can affect our mental process by influencing how we think, feel, and behave. For example, if we believe that we are not good enough, we may not try new things or take risks.
2. Attitudes: Attitudes are our feelings about something. They can be positive, negative, or neutral. Attitudes can affect our mental process by influencing how we interpret information and make decisions. For example, if we have a positive attitude towards learning, we will be interested in new information and try to learn new things.
3. Values: Values are what we believe is important in life. They can be about our family, friends, work, or religion. Values can affect our mental process by influencing our goals and priorities. For example, if we value family, we will make decisions that benefit our family members.
4. Needs: Needs are things that we require to survive and thrive. They can be physical, emotional, or social like food, water, shelter, and love. Needs can affect our mental process by influencing our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. For example, if we are hungry, we may think more about food and may not be able to concentrate on anything else.
5. Motives: Motives are the things that drive us to act. They can be things like the need for achievement, the need for power, or the need for affiliation. Motives can affect our mental process by influencing our goals and the choices we make. For example, if we are motivated by a desire for success, we may be more likely to work hard and take risks.
6. Behavior: Behavior is anything that we do. It can be physical, verbal, or emotional. It is influenced by our beliefs, attitudes, values, needs, and motives. Behavior can affect our mental process by influencing our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. For example: If we behave in an honest and ethical way, we may feel more respected and trusted by others.
Overall, the factors that affect mental processes are complex and interrelated. By understanding these factors, we can better understand how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by our environment and experiences.
Emotions and Cognitive Dissonance
Definition of Emotion
Emotion is a strong feeling that is caused by a thought, a situation, or a person. It can make our body change, like making our heart beat faster or making our face show different expressions. Emotions are important because they help us understand the world and how we feel about things. For example, feeling scared tells us there may be danger, and feeling happy shows that something good has happened. Different people may feel and show emotions in different ways.
There are different ideas about why we have emotions. Some say they are the same for everyone and come from our bodies, while others say they are influenced by our surroundings and culture. No matter the theory, emotions are a big part of our lives. They affect how we make choices, how we get along with others, and how we feel inside.
Features of Emotion
The features of emotion are:
- Subjective feelings: Emotions are connected with subjective feelings, such as happiness, sadness, anger, and fear.
- Physiological changes: Emotions cause changes in our body, such as increased heart rate, sweating, and muscle tension.
- Behavioral changes: Emotions can cause us to behave in different ways, such as crying, laughing, or running away.
- Cognitive changes: Emotions can affect our thoughts and beliefs, such as making us feel more optimistic or pessimistic.
- Expressive behavior: Emotions are often expressed through facial expressions, body language, and words.
Types of Emotion
There are two types of emotions. They are:
- Positive emotions: Positive emotions are the ones that make us feel good inside. They bring happiness, joy, and pleasure. Examples of positive emotions are feeling happy, excited, loved etc. Positive emotions make us smile, laugh, and feel good about ourselves and the world around us.
- Negative emotions: Negative emotions are the ones that make us feel bad or uncomfortable. They can bring sadness, anger, fear, or disgust. Examples of negative emotions are feeling sad, angry, scared, or disgusted. Negative emotions can make us cry, feel tense, or want to avoid certain things or situations.
Definition of Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive dissonance is when we feel uncomfortable because we have two or more conflicting thoughts or beliefs. It happens when our actions don’t match what we believe in. For instance, someone who believes in animal rights but consumes meat or an individual who knows the harmful effects of smoking but continues to smoke may experience cognitive dissonance.
Leon Festinger was a social psychologist who developed the theory of cognitive dissonance. He believed that people want their thoughts, feelings, and actions to match. When there is a difference, it causes discomfort called cognitive dissonance. To feel better, people try to make their thoughts, feelings, and actions more consistent.
Strategies to Reduce Cognitive Dissonance
To reduce cognitive dissonance, the following strategies can be used.
- Focus on supportive beliefs: This means paying more attention to the thoughts that agree with our action. By thinking about these supportive beliefs, we can feel more comfortable and less conflicted. For example: If you buy a new car, you can focus on good things about it. You can think about its features like its sound system, its fuel efficiency etc.to feel better about your decision, even if it was a big purchase.
- Reduce conflicting beliefs: When we have conflicting thoughts, we can try to make them seem less important. By reducing the importance of the conflicting beliefs, we can reduce the discomfort. For example: If you believe that eating healthy is important, but you also love junk food, you could try to reduce the amount of junk food you eat. This can help you feel more comfortable with your decision to eat healthy, even if it’s not always easy.
- Change conflicting beliefs: Sometimes, it might be necessary to change our conflicting beliefs to match our actions. By changing our beliefs, we can resolve the cognitive dissonance and feel more comfortable. For example: If you believe that smoking is bad for your health, but you also smoke, you could try to quit smoking. This can help you feel more at peace with yourself, even if it’s a difficult change to make.
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Group A – Brief Answer Questions
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Mental Process: Beliefs, Attitudes, Values, Needs, Motives and Behavior
Q) Give the meaning of mental process.
→ Mental process is the psychological activities that take place in an individual’s mind. It includes the way we think, feel, and perceive the world.
Q) What are beliefs?
→ Beliefs are things that we think are true. They can be based on our experiences, our culture, or what we have been taught and can be about ourselves, the world, or other people.
Q) Describe attitude.
→ Attitudes are our feelings about something. They can be positive, negative, or neutral and can affect our mental process by influencing how we interpret information and make decisions.
Q) What are values?
→ Values are what we believe is important in life. They can be about our family, friends, work, or religion.
Q) What do you mean by needs?
→ Needs are things that we require to survive and thrive. They can be physical, emotional, or social like food, water, shelter, and love.
Q) What is motive?
→ Motives are the things that drive us to act. They can be things like the need for achievement, the need for power, or the need for affiliation.
Q) What do you mean by the term ‘behavior’. [2074 Q.No.1]
→ Behavior is anything that we do. It can be physical, verbal, or emotional and is influenced by our beliefs, attitudes, values, needs, and motives.
Emotions and Cognitive Dissonances
Q) What is cognitive dissonance?
→ Cognitive dissonance is when we feel uncomfortable because we have two or more conflicting thoughts or beliefs. It happens when our actions don’t match what we believe in.
Q) What are the strategies to reduce cognitive dissonance?
→ The strategies to reduce cognitive dissonance are:
1. Focus on supportive beliefs
2. Reduce conflicting beliefs
3. Change conflicting beliefs
Group B – Descriptive Answer Questions
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Mental Process: Beliefs, Attitudes, Values, Needs, Motives and Behavior
Q) Discuss the factors affecting mental process.
Factors Affecting Mental Process
Mental process is the psychological activities that take place in an individual’s mind. It includes the way we think, feel, and perceive the world. The factors affecting mental process are:
1.Beliefs: Beliefs are things that we think are true. They can be based on our experiences, our culture, or what we have been taught. They can be about ourselves, the world, or other people. Beliefs can affect our mental process by influencing how we think, feel, and behave. For example, if we believe that we are not good enough, we may not try new things or take risks.
2. Attitudes: Attitudes are our feelings about something. They can be positive, negative, or neutral. Attitudes can affect our mental process by influencing how we interpret information and make decisions. For example, if we have a positive attitude towards learning, we will be interested in new information and try to learn new things.
3. Values: Values are what we believe is important in life. They can be about our family, friends, work, or religion. Values can affect our mental process by influencing our goals and priorities. For example, if we value family, we will make decisions that benefit our family members.
4. Needs: Needs are things that we require to survive and thrive. They can be physical, emotional, or social like food, water, shelter, and love. Needs can affect our mental process by influencing our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. For example, if we are hungry, we may think more about food and may not be able to concentrate on anything else.
5. Motives: Motives are the things that drive us to act. They can be things like the need for achievement, the need for power, or the need for affiliation. Motives can affect our mental process by influencing our goals and the choices we make. For example, if we are motivated by a desire for success, we may be more likely to work hard and take risks.
6. Behavior: Behavior is anything that we do. It can be physical, verbal, or emotional. It is influenced by our beliefs, attitudes, values, needs, and motives. Behavior can affect our mental process by influencing our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. For example: If we behave in an honest and ethical way, we may feel more respected and trusted by others.
Overall, the factors that affect mental processes are complex and interrelated. By understanding these factors, we can better understand how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by our environment and experiences.
Emotions and Cognitive Dissonance
Q) What is emotion? Explain its features and types.
Definition of Emotion
Emotion is a strong feeling that is caused by a thought, a situation, or a person. It can make our body change, like making our heart beat faster or making our face show different expressions. Emotions are important because they help us understand the world and how we feel about things. For example, feeling scared tells us there may be danger, and feeling happy shows that something good has happened. Different people may feel and show emotions in different ways.
There are different ideas about why we have emotions. Some say they are the same for everyone and come from our bodies, while others say they are influenced by our surroundings and culture. No matter the theory, emotions are a big part of our lives. They affect how we make choices, how we get along with others, and how we feel inside.
Features of Emotion
The features of emotion are:
- Subjective feelings: Emotions are connected with subjective feelings, such as happiness, sadness, anger, and fear.
- Physiological changes: Emotions cause changes in our body, such as increased heart rate, sweating, and muscle tension.
- Behavioral changes: Emotions can cause us to behave in different ways, such as crying, laughing, or running away.
- Cognitive changes: Emotions can affect our thoughts and beliefs, such as making us feel more optimistic or pessimistic.
- Expressive behavior: Emotions are often expressed through facial expressions, body language, and words.
Types of Emotion
There are two types of emotions. They are:
- Positive emotions: Positive emotions are the ones that make us feel good inside. They bring happiness, joy, and pleasure. Examples of positive emotions are feeling happy, excited, loved etc. Positive emotions make us smile, laugh, and feel good about ourselves and the world around us.
- Negative emotions: Negative emotions are the ones that make us feel bad or uncomfortable. They can bring sadness, anger, fear, or disgust. Examples of negative emotions are feeling sad, angry, scared, or disgusted. Negative emotions can make us cry, feel tense, or want to avoid certain things or situations.
Q) What is cognitive dissonance? Explain the strategies to reduce cognitive dissonance.
Definition of Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive dissonance is when we feel uncomfortable because we have two or more conflicting thoughts or beliefs. It happens when our actions don’t match what we believe in. For instance, someone who believes in animal rights but consumes meat or an individual who knows the harmful effects of smoking but continues to smoke may experience cognitive dissonance.
Leon Festinger was a social psychologist who developed the theory of cognitive dissonance. He believed that people want their thoughts, feelings, and actions to match. When there is a difference, it causes discomfort called cognitive dissonance. To feel better, people try to make their thoughts, feelings, and actions more consistent.
Strategies to Reduce Cognitive Dissonance
To reduce cognitive dissonance, the following strategies can be used.
- Focus on supportive beliefs: This means paying more attention to the thoughts that agree with our action. By thinking about these supportive beliefs, we can feel more comfortable and less conflicted. For example: If you buy a new car, you can focus on good things about it. You can think about its features like its sound system, its fuel efficiency etc.to feel better about your decision, even if it was a big purchase.
- Reduce conflicting beliefs: When we have conflicting thoughts, we can try to make them seem less important. By reducing the importance of the conflicting beliefs, we can reduce the discomfort. For example: If you believe that eating healthy is important, but you also love junk food, you could try to reduce the amount of junk food you eat. This can help you feel more comfortable with your decision to eat healthy, even if it’s not always easy.
- Change conflicting beliefs: Sometimes, it might be necessary to change our conflicting beliefs to match our actions. By changing our beliefs, we can resolve the cognitive dissonance and feel more comfortable. For example: If you believe that smoking is bad for your health, but you also smoke, you could try to quit smoking. This can help you feel more at peace with yourself, even if it’s a difficult change to make.
Group C – Analytical Answer Questions
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