How behavior affects attitude?

How we view the world, ourselves, and others has the power to influence our choices.  If you believe you are socially awkward or boring to people, you may avoid gatherings or decline invitations to be social.  Conversely, the opposite can be true as well.  Acting as if you are confident when you feel insecure may help you to believe you are more capable of talking in a crowd or that you appear to others to have social skills.

One route behavior takes to change the way we feel and think about ourselves is through our schemas.  Schemas are neural pathways in the brain that hold organized information about ourselves, other people, or the world.  Most people hold schemas about themselves, such as I am good/I am bad, I am worthy/I am unworthy, I am capable/I am incapable, etc.  When we behave in conformity with these schemas, we engage in behavior that supports our beliefs.  For example, if you believe you are incapable of getting out of bed to exercise, the resulting behavior may be to remain in bed; however, if you perform the behavior first despite the schema, you may begin to believe you are capable of getting out of bed and engaging in movement.  The more you practice the behavior first, the more you believe “I am capable” vs not.  Practicing this behavior can then result in changing the attitude you have toward capability, exercise, and yourself. This is true with anxieties as well—the more you try out the things you’re scared of, the more capable you feel to repeat those risks.

Another way behavior can change attitude is via our brain’s desire to achieve congruence.  If we act a certain way yet believe the opposite, it creates a sense of cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is a state in which we feel discomfort due to conflicting thoughts/beliefs and behaviors.  To resolve this state, we either change our behavior or adjust our beliefs/thoughts.  For example, if you treat someone nicely following an argument, your frustrations may settle quicker, and you may begin to form positive thoughts about the person (and even yourself) to match the behavior you chose.  This can apply with thoughts or beliefs in any realm.

There is value in knowing that behavior can affect attitude because at times, attempting to change our beliefs first can prove to be the slower route to shifting our outlook or trying new things.  Give yourself a challenge next time you notice an opportunity to try something you normally wouldn’t!