Let's say you love roller-skating. Just the thought of strapping on your roller-skates brings a smile to your face. You also know that roller-skating is excellent exercise. You have a positive attitude toward it.
This description of roller-skating illustrates the three components of an attitude: affect, cognition, and behavior. You love the activity; it's great fun. These feelings highlight the affective or emotional component; they are an important ingredient in attitudes. The knowledge we have about the object constitutes the cognitive component of an attitude. You understand the health benefits that the activity can bring. Finally, attitudes have a behavioral component. Our attitudes prompt us to go outside to enjoy roller-skating.
Now, we don't want to leave you with the impression that these three components always work together perfectly. They don't; sometimes they clash. For example, let's say you love pizza (affective component); however, you have high cholesterol and understand (knowledge component) that eating pizza may be bad for your health. Which behavior will your attitude result in, eating pizza or avoiding it? The answer depends on which component happens to be stronger. If you are walking past a pizza restaurant at lunchtime, your emotions and feelings probably will be stronger than your knowledge that pizza may not be the best food for your health. In that instance, you have pizza for lunch. If you are at home trying to decide where to go for dinner, however, the knowledge component may prevail, and you decide to go where you can eat a healthier meal.