Which term describes a stable set of beliefs and feelings that influence behavior toward others?

• A. Attitude
• B. Bias
• C. Ethic
• D. Morality

Answer: (A)

Attitude is a stable set of beliefs and feelings about people or things that shapes how you behave toward them. It blends what you think (cognitive), how you feel (affective), and how you’re inclined to act (behavioral), so it tends to stick across different situations. Because attitudes color your interpretation of others and guide your responses, they serve as a good predictor of social behavior. By contrast, bias is more about a prejudicial slant in judgment, ethics refers to a system of moral principles, and morality concerns notions of right and wrong—these influence behavior in different ways but do not capture the broad, enduring evaluative stance toward others that an attitude does.