An attitude is a mental and emotional orientation toward a person, object, idea, or situation. Attitudes have three key components:
Cognitive (beliefs or thoughts: “I believe exercise is healthy”),
Affective (feelings: “I enjoy exercising”), and
Behavioural (actions: “I go jogging three times a week”).
Attitudes influence how we interpret the world and guide behaviour, though they don’t always predict it perfectly. They can be shaped by personal experience, culture, family, or media.
Attitudes can be positive, negative, or ambivalent (mixed). Importantly, they are not fixed; persuasive communication, new experiences, or reflection can change them. In psychology and marketing, understanding attitudes helps explain why people support causes, make purchases, or resist change.