The Personal Setting of Public Opinions: A Study of Attitudes Toward Russia

Abstract

ANALYSIS REVEALS several components of attitudes: how a person feels about a subject-the affective aspect of his attitude, and what he thinks about it-the cognitive aspect. The affective aspect may be subdivided into factors of direction and intensity, while on the cognitive side the informational context of attitudes may be distinguished from their time perspective. Both affective and cognitive elements enter into an individual's policy orientation-what action he believes should be taken. Attitudes must also be studied with respect to their function in personality, to yield an understanding of how just these attitudes develop in the particular situation. Using opinions expressed toward Russia as subject matter, this study demonstrates that a systematic analysis of complex attitudes can fruitfully be undertaken, and suggests a framework for the description of attitudes. Its findings have broad implications for the field of public opinion surveying. The author is at present Assistant Professor of Social Psychology in the Department of Social Relations, and Research Associate in the Laboratory of Social Relations at Harvard.

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