Table of contents:
- Attitude: definition according to psychology
- 20 types of human attitudes: list
- Examples of human attitudes
- Manipulative attitude
- Suspicious attitude
- Empathic attitude
Probably most of us on some occasion had to hear from family or friends something related to the way we react to situations, without fully understanding what they wanted to tell us. Perhaps we often hear from others "what a bad attitude you have", "what a negative / positive attitude you have today", "I really like their attitudes", "this is the attitude we need". And perhaps so many other expressions that are difficult for us to understand. That is why in this Psychology-Online article we share 20 types of human attitudes: list and examples.
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- 20 types of human attitudes: list
- Examples of human attitudes
Attitude: definition according to psychology
Each of us has characteristic response characteristics that make us different from the others: some of us are more calm and stoic in the face of the inescapable misfortunes of our own existence and perhaps others are their impulsive and irascible counterpart.
These abhorrent traits of impatience or the traits of exemplary serenity are structured or formed from that genetic and environmental predisposition to which we are all exposed, without exception. As the psychologist Floyd Allport (1955) mentions, an attitude is the mental and neurological disposition, which is organized from the experience that exerts a certain influence on the individual's reactions to all objects and to all the situations that correspond to them..
According to psychology, the attitude that we present towards the outside (our environment) arises from this aforementioned interaction between biological and hereditary factors (these responses are favored by the genetics of each subject - their temperament) and environmental factors such as learning to throughout the individual's life.
The attitude is then the learned and inherited predisposition to respond in certain consistent ways, whether in favor or not of the object (ideologies, customs, practices, religions and laws). This psychic disposition that arises from the valuation that is made of the external aims to generate a disposition that represents the internal foundations (biological and psychological) of the action. It then pursues the decision based on that cognitive, affective and biological integration.
I think it is necessary to mention something that is avoided by many authors interested in investigating the issue of human attitudes and that is that these attitudes have action as their objective, having integrated all its components (cognitive, affective, behavioral and biological), they cannot be completely ego-syntonic (actions that are in tune with the ego), but are also involved in attitudes of an egotistical character (that do not harmonize with the ego): attitudes allow us to function and adapt ourselves per se.
For example, I can manifest an attitude that is colloquially recognized as "positive" "optimistic" to certain situations but that in truth do not fit or are not in tune with what I have learned or with the characteristic features of my temperament, but only then would I be able to adapt easily. Recognizing the attitude in this way, we could allude that sometimes one of its factors (cognitive, affective or biological) is prioritized while the others can be postponed.
20 types of human attitudes: list
The 20 main attitudes that people can present are the following:
- Manipulative attitude. Whoever presents this type of manipulative attitude begins by turning others into objects or sources of pleasure; These people build or structure their relationships with the motive of making everything work according to their wishes or expectations, they use strategies to convince the other that they are acting under their own will.
- Pessimistic attitude. This type of attitude is generally related to a high level of tolerance or flexibility, being benevolent begins to value and allow transgressions of their own evaluations.
- Submissive attitude. In this type of attitude, people postulate themselves as objects, thus allowing others to be the responsible subjects and owners of their decisions. It works as a survival mechanism by allowing yourself security through the care and sensitivity of others.
- Positive attitude. It is often the kind of attitude that is considered the most flattering of all the others; It is characterized by the beneficial perception or appreciation of different situations (regardless of whether they are difficult) and allows the person to feel stimulated to act confidently. In the following article you will find Exercises to develop a positive attitude.
- Negative attitude. This attitude consists of a perception or interpretation of hopelessness, defeat, disappointment or the subterfuge of realism. They often exacerbate existing difficult or problematic situations and elude or detract from any aspect of optimism. It generally produces the opposite of the positive attitude: it stops or represses the action.
- Aggressive attitude. In this type of attitude, one usually takes action in a matter of seconds and includes an impulsive act that seeks to achieve the meaning of justice while ignoring that of others. Know the characteristics of an aggressive person.
- Passive attitude. This type of attitude is characterized by little or no action.
- Collaborative attitude. This type of attitude enables or requires frequent contact with others. Its objective is to help others achieve their purposes.
- Altruistic attitude. People who manifest the altruistic attitude carry out actions with objectives that provide benefits or benefit to another person even when it may generate losses or have no benefit for itself.
- Emotional attitude. This type of attitude is frequently observed in people who cement their relationships as their affection and that of others. This type of attitude is also characterized by the value or priority given to the emotional area, thus leading them to live each of their emotions with more intensity.
- Neutral attitude. This type of attitude is one that occurs infrequently and is characterized by not being outlined by affectivity or rationalities (neither pessimistic nor positive) they are usually objective with their decisions.
- Rational / analytical attitude. This type of attitude generates in people a use of judgment or logic when estimating or evaluating situations. Often this type of attitude leads to attempts to hide or ignore emotions under rational (cognitive) justifications. However, managing emotions positively involves learning to feel and express them.
- Confidence attitude. This type of attitude is observed in people who show an acceptance of their own characteristics. Generally, this attitude allows us to perceive stimuli of pleasure or pain as a pedagogical intention. Confidence can be worked on and improved. Try the following tips to gain self confidence.
- Flexible attitude. People with a flexible attitude show acceptance of the qualities or criteria of others without getting rid of their own. This attitude facilitates awareness of the reality principle; people recognize that life can take a very different course from what was planned and act in favor of themselves and their exterior. Allows rapid adaptation to changes.
- Empathic attitude. This attitude of empathy is characterized by people who are aware of the other's existence and therefore understand thanks to their own self-evaluation or introspection that the behaviors of others also have an origin. They allow others to listen and facilitate dialogue for their understanding, among many other benefits of developing an empathic attitude.
- Suspicious attitude. This type of attitude is characterized by excessive distrust of any type of stimulus, generally these people are alert to any type of injury or attempted perjury.
- Sardonic attitude. The sardonic attitude is characterized by a sharp and incisive contact towards others. They fill with sarcasm or ironies the conversations they have with others.
- Inflexible attitude. It is characterized by a rigid pattern of behavior and thought in which it is intended that the rest is in tune with what is sought and it suffers terribly when it is not.
- Moralistic / prejudiced attitude. This type of attitude is characterized by concern for the ethical weight of one's own actions and that of others. Generally, the person with a moralistic attitude is dedicated to monitoring the actions of others so that they do not incur the lack of the principles or precepts that he handles.
- Nihilistic attitude. In this type of attitude all moral principles or social structures are rejected, maintaining the belief that existence itself is completely devoid of meaning or intrinsic purpose.
Examples of human attitudes
To better understand some attitudes, we will show examples of 3 types of attitudes that are sometimes difficult to identify:
Manipulative attitude
The determination for the fulfillment of one's own desires (ego-syntonic), can even be quite concealed by actions that favor or appear to be of benefit to the other person.
- For example, in a relationship between a mother and her children, it can be observed that in those attitudes of protection, crying and self-denial of the mother, the interests of keeping out of her own demands are hidden «-I sacrifice my needs so that you are well Nowhere else will you be as safe as you are with me.
The manipulative attitude has this characteristic of acting in the apparent benefit of the other person. Here you can act in an egodistonic way to achieve the opposite.
Suspicious attitude
This attitude of general distrust can become serious pathologies such as delusions, hiding it with the same inflexibility and security of their own beliefs.
- For example, in a family there may be a member who insists that the other members do not appreciate him or do not value him enough and therefore seek to harm him and frustrate all his plans.
This attitude is usually accompanied by aggressive attitudes, where the person counterattacks or defends himself from alleged attacks on him.
Empathic attitude
This attitude of empathy is characterized by people who are aware of the existence of the other and therefore understand thanks to their own self-assessment or introspection that the behaviors of others also have an origin.
- For example, being aware that the couple feels a lot of pain due to farewells or absence, acts not in favor of satisfying their demands for constant presence, but rather respecting and accompanying each other so that she or he can heal and thus be more independent.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography- Floyd HA (1955). Theories of perception and the concept of structure with an introduction to a dynamic structural theory of behavior. Editorial Wiley. New York.