Answer: Attitude refers to a psychological construct that represents an individual's evaluation, feelings, beliefs, and predisposition towards a particular person, object, event, or idea.

Attitude not necessarily reflects in Behaviour

There could be several reasons as to why a person’s attitude is not necessarily reflected in their behavior. Some of them are as follows:

•     Social Norms: People often behave as they believe others expect them to behave. A norm may be so strong and so universally held that virtually everyone in that situation behaves the same regardless of his or her attitude.

o   For example, a person may hold liberal ideas, yet does not want to do inter-faith marriage due to social backlash.

•     Certainty of Punishment: Strict enforcement of law creates deterrence in the minds of the people which ultimately leads to modification in behavior.

o   For example, a person may have a negative attitude about following traffic rules, but he still follows the rules due to fear of fine.

•     Institution: The organizational set-up also affects our behavior.

o   For example, wearing of proper dress code in an educational institution.

•     Attitude Clash: It is observed that people often hold two contradictory attitudes.

o   For example, a person may believe in gender equality in general, but still holds many patriarchal notions as well.

Other Factors which influence behaviour

•     Social Influences: People are often motivated to align their behavior with the expectations and norms of their social groups.

o   For example, A teenager may start smoking or experimenting with drugs due to peer pressure, wanting to fit in with a particular social group and be accepted by their peers.

•     Legal and Policy Frameworks: Laws, regulations, and policies can influence behavior by establishing boundaries, incentives, and disincentives.

o   For example, legal frameworks shape behaviors such as compliance with traffic rules, environmental regulations, or financial practices.

•     Trust and Perceived Credibility: Trust in institutions, authority figures, or information sources can shape behavior.

o   For example, Individuals are more likely to follow health guidelines issued by reputable and trusted health organizations like WHO.

Attitude and behavior are two interconnected aspects of human psychology, but they do not always align perfectly. While attitudes provide valuable insights into our thoughts and beliefs, they are just one component of the complex web of influences that shape human behavior.