Groups, Networks, And Organizations
In daily situations and quite spontaneously, people formulate reference scales to which they attach sources and concepts or hierarchical preferences of individuals. Latitude of acceptance and latitude of rejection imply that an individual's attitude is determined by a margin in regards to either positions that individuals consider acceptable or those which are unacceptable to them. This is to say that people either accept or reject certain positions in a varying degree which depends on the source transmitting the information and what that information implies. It is considered that the more attached an individual is toward his/hers attitude, the wider the latitude of rejection becomes and the limited the latitude of acceptance is.
For example, suppose a family is struggling with their child's weight problem. Suppose as well their belief is that current food trends favor child obesity. As an issue of national concern, the latitude of acceptance is wider because governmental involvement would be considered a responsibility. Moreover, if the message is delivered accurately and general perception reflects the actual state of things, the more likely it is for someone to accept the report. If however, someone considers child obesity as an irrelevant problem, the latitude of rejection is favored.
2. The theory of cognitive dissonance implies the existence of an internal instrument which guides one's attitudes and beliefs so as to maintain equilibrium and avoid dissonance. However, in light of conflictive situations, in order to protect a belief, it is assumed that an individual will resort to downplaying the situation so that it fits within his/hers system of values. For example, the study case involving members of a cult believing that the Earth will be destroyed due to an imminent flooding indicated that, when this did not happen, some members acknowledged their embarrassment while more zealous adherents reinterpreted the events to favor their position and claimed their faith had saved the earth. Because conflictive situations create discomfort, this theory suggests that an internal reevaluation can cause one to modify certain attitudes/beliefs in order to reduce the discomfort.
It assumes that two people who develop similar beliefs or feelings toward a third party will trust each other all the more so. Thus, one person will either self persuade himself / herself to believe something or will proceed to persuade another in order to balance whatever state of tension. Thus, it is through a tactic of negotiation and de-escalation of conflict that stands at the basis of the balance theory. The balance theory therefore asserts that, in a given relationship, one of the parts involved changes his/hers behavior to maintain equilibrium.
The belief congruence theory implies that two people will develop a mutual attraction where similarities exist between their systems of beliefs. One would thus attempt to protect a set of beliefs by seeking companionship of the people who share his/hers opinions. However, the theory implies that attitudes can change when surface beliefs and not values are altered.
3. Derived from the comparison that architects will assess the existing conditions when proposing building projects, the choice architecture theory assumes that, in the making of a decision, the characteristics of a given environment will be considered so that the outcome is favorable. Most importantly, ?if you indirectly influence the choices other people make, ? Thaler and Sunstein argued, ?you are a choice architect. (83) The soda ban thus was thought to influence people's choice in purchasing soft drinks by banning big sodas. This decision came as the result of the study indicating that people who are given larger portions are predisposed to overeating/drinking.
However, the ban only implies that, unable to purchase larger portions of sodas, people would still be able to buy the same quantity by purchasing an increased number of smaller dozes. On the other hand, people would be able to redirect personal decision to match healthier options by indeed purchasing smaller sodas. The public choice theory is similar to choice architecture in that both assume that individuals are motivated by self-interest.
4. In a collaborative environment, effective communication as means to achieve desirable outcomes, relies…
