What is Social Judgment Theory, and how can we learn from it?
Social Judgment Theory, first studied by Muzafer Sheriff and his associates,5 states that the more a person cares about something, the more entrenched they will be against a differing opinion. Every person comes to any discussion, small group, class or program with a fairly sophisticated system of beliefs, attitudes and values (this is true of both adults and adolescents). Beliefs are what we think is true, attitudes are our predispositions to respond to a given situation, and values are those things that we hold up as important. The more strongly and deeply someone holds onto particular beliefs, attitudes, and values, the harder it is to disrupt them or challenge them. The goal in utilizing Social Judgment Theory is to determine the initial perspective of the person you are trying to reach so that you will have the best shot at inviting them to consider a change.
