Values, Attitudes, and Ideologies: Explicit and Implicit Constructs Shaping Perception and Action

Abstract

Human perceptions are vital cognitive-emotional constructs for understanding belief, judgment and action. This chapter explores how beliefs – values, attitudes, and ideologies – are reciprocally influenced by social structure, as well as how and when these constructs influence situated behavior. We pay particular attention to the recent surge of research on implicit beliefs, vital for a social psychological understanding of the socialized actor.