Functional attitude theory

Question One 

Functional attitude theory holds that the beliefs and attitudes influence various psychological functions, and are thus held by the people as they are important and an integral facet of psychological functioning and social interaction and reduction of cognitive dissonance. There are several methods through which the functions of a given attitude can be assessed. The semantic differential technique provided by Osgood reveals information on the basic dimensions of potency, evaluation, and activity. In this method, a person is required to rate a topic or issue on standard bipolar adjectives each represented on a seven-point scale. The results are then used to assess whether the feelings of the person towards a given object are consistent with his behavior. The second means is through projective tests where an individual is presented with an incomplete or ambiguous stimulus, and their interpretation is compared to the original incomplete stimulus ( O'keefe, 2002) . The third means of assessment is through a thematic appreciation test. Here, the subject is given an ambiguous picture for interpreting, this meaning to tap into their inner unconscious mind and reveal their personality. 

Question Two 

Functions of attitudes explain to us why individuals hold certain attitudes towards psychological objects. Functions of attitude serve as the motivational bases that shape and reinforce positive attitude towards goal objectives regarded to be satisfying a need, or that reinforces a negative attitude towards goal objects perceived as threatening or punishing. On the other hand, functions of expressing an attitude can be different in that the individual may not necessarily make known their real attitudes, or may not express them entirely to fit in a given group. In another way, there is a distinction between the job done by the attitude object and the job done through the expression of attitude concerning the object ( O'keefe, 2002) . For example, there exists a difference between the purpose served through the abolishment of capital punishment and that of a [person claiming to support the abolition of capital punishment, though the two might appear to have a similar meaning. 

Reference 

O'keefe, D. J. (2002). Persuasion: Theory and research (Vol. 2). Sage.