Suppose you have a friend. You meet her on a weekend trip and are friends with her. Your relationship will be better if you take good care of her during the trip. This might show your friend that you have a good attitude toward her.
Now suppose you have a friend who has never met you before. You go to her house and invite her to your home for dinner. She will feel very uneasy if she sees your messy house. This shows that your cleaning behavior is a negative behavior.
Summary Table
| Behavior | Attitude |
| Behavior is always in our control. | Attitude is not always in our control. |
| Behavior is always intentional. | Attitude is sometimes intentional, and sometimes not. |
| Behavior is not controlled by the environment. | Attitude is controlled by the environment. |
In the context of how a person acts and his/her attitudes, we can observe two very different concepts. A person’s attitude can be defined as a deep-rooted, strongly held belief about something or someone. However, a behavior is the observable and measurable action of a person. For example, if you walk into a classroom and find the teacher grading papers on the floor, it is your behavior towards the teacher that is being tested by this action.
In this article, we will focus on the differences between a person’s behavior and his/her attitude.
What is Behavior?
Behavior is a description of an action or series of actions that an individual does. It is an outward expression of the inner character. Behavior describes the act itself, not the motives behind it.
What is Attitude?
Attitude is an opinion or feeling about something, a feeling of liking or disliking something. It may be accompanied by the intention to act on it. Behavior and Attitude are the two components of personality. The way an individual acts is determined by his or her attitudes.
The Similarities Between Behavior and Attitude:
Behavior and Attitude are both composed of two basic components: (1) the action itself and (2) the attitude toward that action. Both behavior and attitude are influenced by many other factors. Both behavior and attitude are outward expressions of the inner character.
Behavior VS Attitude
The differences between behavior and attitude are described below.
Goal
Behavior is directed towards an external goal (e.g., improving the accuracy of throwing a football). Attitude is not directed towards an external goal.
The environment
Behavior is not controlled by the environment. Attitude is controlled by the environment.
The frequency
Behavior is like a habit. We repeat it daily. Attitude is not like a habit. It is rarely repeated, and often has an off-task behavior attached to it.
Intention
Behavior is always intentional. Attitude is sometimes intentional, and sometimes not. It depends on the context in which it occurs.
Feedback
Behavior is not constantly monitored by others. Attitude is constantly monitored by others.
No ability to change
Behavior is always in our control. Attitude is not always in our control.
