Subject: abstract vs. concrete

Posted by John Gunkler on 2/6/2006
In Reply To:abstract vs. concrete Posted by Bill Ellis on 2/5/2006

Message:

I am aware, although the citation is lost to dim memory, that research was done in the 1960's or early '70's on racial prejudice that showed the validity of this quote. In essence, what the research found was that it was possible to change racist "attitudes" by getting people to behave in non-racist ways. Behavior first, attitude and opinions then followed.

Doing it the other way around -- trying to change behavior by first changing opinions and attitudes -- while perhaps not impossible was much more difficult.

This whole idea is probably what's behind the "act as if" advice I've been hearing lately. The advice goes: "If you want to be (happy, smart, tolerant, faithful, etc.), act as if you were ... and, soon, you will be."
Well, I believe there's quite a bit of sound psychology behind that.


John Gunkler