Assignment 2: Social Psychological Explanations of Attitude Change

Course Context

PSY 325: Social Psychology
Institutional Model: Arizona State University–style undergraduate delivery (US)
Term: 2026

Assignment Overview

This assignment requires a focused analytical essay examining how contemporary social psychology explains attitude change in real-world contexts. You will apply established theoretical frameworks to a current social issue, demonstrating conceptual accuracy, critical reasoning, and evidence-based argumentation.

Learning Outcomes Assessed

• Apply core social psychological theories to real social phenomena
• Differentiate between cognitive, affective, and social drivers of attitude change
• Evaluate empirical research using discipline-appropriate criteria
• Communicate psychological analysis clearly in academic writing

Task Instructions

Write a 1,200–1,500-word academic essay addressing the following prompt:

Essay Prompt

Analyze how social psychological theories explain attitude change related to one contemporary issue (e.g., vaccination hesitancy, climate change beliefs, political polarization, body image on social media). Your analysis must integrate theory, empirical research, and applied implications.

Required Structure

1. Introduction (approx. 150–200 words)
   • Introduce the social issue
   • State the central argument
   • Identify the theories used
2. Theoretical Framework (approx. 400–500 words)
   • Explain at least two social psychological theories (e.g., Elaboration Likelihood Model, Cognitive Dissonance Theory, Social Identity Theory)
   • Clarify core constructs and mechanisms
3. Application to the Selected Issue (approx. 400–500 words)
   • Apply theories to explain observed attitude change
   • Integrate empirical findings from peer-reviewed studies
4. Critical Evaluation (approx. 200–250 words)
   • Assess strengths and limitations of the theories
   • Consider contextual and cultural factors
5. Conclusion (approx. 150 words)
   • Summarize key insights
   • Highlight implications for social behavior or intervention

Formatting and Submission Requirements

• APA 7th edition style
• Double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman
• Minimum of 5 peer-reviewed academic sources
• Submitted as a Word document via the LMS

Assessment Criteria and Weighting

• Conceptual accuracy and theoretical understanding – 30%
• Use and integration of empirical research – 25%
• Critical analysis and evaluation – 20%
• Organization, coherence, and academic writing – 15%
• APA formatting and referencing – 10%

Academic Integrity

All work must be original and comply with university academic integrity policies. Submissions may be screened using text-matching software. Improper use of third-party writing services constitutes academic misconduct.

Attitude change surrounding vaccination is strongly influenced by both cognitive elaboration and social identity processes. Research shows that messages aligned with group norms are more persuasive than fact-based appeals alone. Empirical findings indicate that perceived source credibility and in-group identification significantly moderate resistance to persuasion.

• Petty, R. E., & Briñol, P. (2020). The elaboration likelihood model: Past, present, and future. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 30(4), 593–609. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcpy.1124

• Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (2019 reprint). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. Political Psychology, 40(S1), 5–23. https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12565

• van Bavel, J. J., et al. (2020). Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response. Nature Human Behaviour, 4, 460–471. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-020-0884-z

• Albarracín, D., & Shavitt, S. (2018). Attitudes and attitude change. Annual Review of Psychology, 69, 299–327. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-122216-011911