In this series of articles, we are exploring how social psychology helps practitioners implement information security policies more effectively.
Psychologists distinguish between beliefs and attitudes.
A belief refers to cognitive information that need not have an emotional component. An attitude refers to an evaluation or emotional response. A person may believe that copying software without authorization is a felony, while nonetheless having the attitude that it doesn't matter. Beliefs can change when contradictory information is presented, but some research suggests it can take up to a week before significant shifts are measurable. Other studies suggest that when people hold contradictory beliefs, providing an opportunity to articulate and evaluate those beliefs may lead to changes that reduce inconsistency.