When Alex initially began going to the gym with her friend, she was unsure about her attitude toward the importance of exercise. However, after exercising several times, she concluded that exercising was important to her. This pattern of attitude development is BEST explained by _____.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Self-perception theory suggests that people infer their attitudes and beliefs by observing their own behavior and the context in which it occurs. In this case, Alex's behavior of exercising led her to infer that exercising was important to her, thus reflecting a change in her attitude. Group polarization involves a group's tendency to become more extreme in their attitudes after group discussion, social facilitation refers to improved performance when in the presence of others, and cognitive dissonance theory involves the discomfort felt when holding conflicting attitudes or beliefs. None of these theories fully explain Alex's attitude development.

When Alex Initially Began Going to the Gym with Her