Functions of Social Attitudes
Objective:
This worksheet aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of social attitudes by defining their structural components and analyzing their psychological functions based on Daniel Katz’s functional theory. Students learn to identify how attitudes help individuals navigate social environments, express identity, and maintain self-esteem.
Content and methods:
The worksheet employs a multi-step pedagogical approach, starting with a realistic class chat scenario to prompt initial reflection. It then uses structured multiple-choice tasks to clarify the cognitive, affective, and conative components of attitudes. Finally, the material introduces Katz’s four functions (adaptive, value-expressive, knowledge, and ego-defensive) through a social media-style infographic, requiring students to apply these concepts by categorizing the classmates' statements and reflecting on their own perspectives.
Competencies:
- Definition and differentiation of the structural components of attitudes (ABC-model)
- Analytical application of Katz’s functional theory to real-life scenarios
- Self-reflection and perspective-taking within social contexts
- Critical evaluation of the changeability of attitudes based on their underlying functions
Target group: grades 10 and higher + trainees in the social education sector
52 other teachers use this template
Target group and level
Trainees in the social education sector
Subjects
Functions of Social Attitudes
🧑🏼🏫Additional information for teachers
Social attitudes don’t just appear by chance – they serve specific purposes in how we think and act. In this worksheet, students explore why people hold different attitudes and what functions these attitudes fulfill. The starting point is a class group chat in which a range of attitudes becomes visible. As they work through the material, students identify the four functions of social attitudes and apply them to concrete examples.
📋Task
Read the class chat.
Think about which kind of attitude you personally have about the topics discussed in the chat.
Write down your thoughts.
Class chat
Amira: Ngl, I’m sooo hyped for the NYC trip 😍 If I’m super active, join every group activity and post some fire pics with the class, the teachers will totally see me as motivated and chill 💯 Might even help with grades and stuff, plus I don’t wanna be the weird one staying in the hotel all day 😅
Diego: For me it’s not just about fun tbh ✈️ I really wanna go because I care about seeing different cultures and learning how people live there, not just shopping and flexing 🗽 I kinda feel like I’m staying true to myself if I use the trip to grow a bit and not just mess around 🤷♂️
Mei: I see the trip more like a big school project in a different city 🤓 If I think of it that way, it’s easier to plan what’s important: museums, subway routes, what’s safe, what’s not, where we can actually go without getting lost 😅 That way the whole New York chaos feels way more predictable for me.
Yusuf: Idk, I kinda feel weird about NYC ngl 😬 I keep thinking it’s super dangerous and that people there are all rude and just wanna scam tourists, so better not talk to strangers and stick only with our group 🚫 Maybe it’s not 100% true, but thinking like that makes me feel less scared about going there alone.
Zara: Bruh, you all have such deep takes on one class trip 😵💫 You’re talking like it’s a whole life decision or something 😂 What’s the point of having an attitude in the first place?
✏️Here you can write down your thoughts.
📋Task
To help you take part in the class chat actively and using correct terminology, start by refreshing your knowledge of the definition of attitudes and their structural components. Work through the following task on your own.
📋Task
Now read the following social media post about the topic "Functions of social attitudes".
📋Task
For each of the four functions, think of an example from everyday life. Write down your examples in the table.
| Functions of social attitudes | Examples |
|---|---|
| Adaptive function | |
| Value-expressive function | |
| Knowledge function | |
| Ego-defensive function |
🧑🏼🏫Additional information for teachers
Here you can find a sample solution with examples.
| Functions of social attitudes | Examples |
|---|---|
| Adaptive function |
Lina always compliments her teammates, which earns her appreciation and makes her feel included in the group. When Raj expresses support for his school’s recycling program, he receives praise from teachers and classmates. |
| Value-expressive function |
Carlos participates in climate strikes to show his commitment to environmental protection. Aisha wears a T-shirt with a message promoting gender equality, reflecting her belief in fairness and justice. |
| Knowledge function |
Sara categorizes foods into healthy and unhealthy groups to help her make better dietary choices. When encountering new people, Daniel uses first impressions to decide who might become a friend or remain an acquaintance. |
| Ego-defensive function |
Alex convinces himself that he failed the test because the questions were unfair, rather than his lack of preparation. Mei attributes her team's loss in the soccer match to biased refereeing to shield herself from feelings of inadequacy. |
📋Task
Read the class chat again and think about which attitudes are reflected in the individual statements.
Afterwards, sort the classmates into the correct categories.
📋Task
Write your own response for the class chat. Include your new knowledge and reflect on your own attitude you wrote down at the beginning and the students' perspectives. Write an answer of 2-3 sentences.
💬Answer in the class chat
💭Review (optional)
Talk in pairs.
Together, think about the question if all attitudes can be changed equally easily.
Compare different statements from the class chat or from your own examples and discuss which role the function of the individual attitude can play here.