The 3 differences between attitude and aptitude

A review of the differences between these two important psychological concepts in the workplace.

It is quite common to confuse the words "attitude" and "aptitude" because they are very similar, both graphically and phonetically. Only one letter is different.

Because of this, they are either taken as synonyms or the meaning is twisted without realizing it. Even so, they refer to very different concepts, although they are equally important in certain fields, such as work or education.

In the following we are going to see the differences between attitude and aptitudeThe following are the differences between attitude and aptitude, along with their meanings and some examples related to the world of work.

What do attitude and aptitude mean?

Attitude and aptitude are words that are usually confused, since they are very similar phonetically and graphically, only changing one letter. In addition to this, both terms often go hand in hand, being difficult, sometimes, to see the line between what is understood as an attitude and what is understood as an aptitude.

Broadly speaking, when we talk about an attitude we refer to the behavioral tendency of a person to deal with different situations, i.e., it has to do with a person's attitude.In other words, it has to do with aspects of personality and temperament. On the other hand, when we refer to aptitude, we are basically referring to his or her abilities. Likewise, in order to understand the differences between both terms in more detail, we will see them in more detail below.

What is attitude?

When we talk about someone's attitude we are referring to the predisposition of that individual to respond to situations in a consistent manner.. In other words, we are referring to an aspect of their personality, to their more or less natural tendency to show themselves in different contexts, such as work, personal, family, social...

Thus, the attitude of a subject has to do with the way he/she acts in the experience of a circumstance, or when being close to an object.or being close to an object or person that triggers a certain response in the individual. This tendency can have a cognitive and affective character, and, although it is largely based on innate tendencies, there may be a certain acquired component.

In the work context, a person's attitude is a very important factor for good performance, as well as contributing to a good work environment.

What is aptitude?

The word aptitude refers to the abilities or skills that a person possesses with respect to a certain type of domain. It can also be defined as the series of conditions or requirements that an individual has in order to achieve a certain function, be it work or academic, or an objective that he or she has set for him or herself.

Thus, it has much to do with knowledge, both theoretical and has a lot to do with knowledge, both theoretical and practical.However, it is true that a certain natural component, whether innate or acquired, must be emphasized here.

For example, when we say that a person has the ability to master languages, in addition to the fact that he or she speaks several languages, we also mean that he or she has the ability to understand their grammar, to memorize new vocabulary quickly, to imitate phonemes...

Based on the definition given here, it is logical to think that in each profession different types of aptitudes are required, depending on the job position.depending both on the job position and the branch in which the individual specializes.

For example, in the world of programming, it is necessary to have a good aptitude for logical analysis and problem solving, as well as a fluent understanding of different programming languages.

Another example would be the case of a comic illustrator, who should have not only good artistic skills, but also creativity and knowledge of different drawing and coloring styles.

The differences between attitude and aptitude, explained.

As we have indicated before, the word "attitude" refers to a person's temperament, i.e., it refers to the characteristics of a person's personality.that is, it refers to personality characteristics of an individual. On the other hand, with "aptitude" we refer to the capabilities, both theoretical and practical, that the individual possesses. The differences between both terms are very clear when used in work contexts.

For example, at work, we say that a person has a good attitude when he/she has a responsible personality, delivers reports on time, has a way of relating to others that does not generate conflicts, is friendly, knows how to behave in a meeting... That is to say, the worker with a good work attitude is a person who possesses personality characteristics that are pleasant for the operation of the company, a worker with a good work attitude is a person who has personality characteristics that are pleasant for the company's operation..

On the other hand, with aptitude we do not refer to the personality characteristics of the individual, but to his capabilities as a good worker for the particular profession he is in. That is to say, we refer, as we have already mentioned, to the skills he possesses, the abilities in which he presents a natural facility that he has been expanding by means of different theoretical-practical knowledge acquired throughout his life.

Example: the English teacher

Let's imagine an English teacher. Showing a good attitude, this teacher should have patience, understand his students when they feel frustrated because they do not get the pronunciation right or when they do not understand the grammar. In addition, this same teacher should have "sparkle", that is to say, make the classes enjoyable and interesting by transmitting energy, something closely related to the dimension of extraversion.

On the other hand, the teacher's skills should not be neglected: he/she should know how to teach, especially in such a problematic subject as languages. He or she must know useful methods for teaching foreign languages, in addition to being a near-native speaker of the language he or she is teaching.

Thus, it can be understood that although with different meanings, both terms refer to fundamental aspects of any profession. Having one but completely lacking the other makes it very difficult to work properly, or even impossible.

In the same example of the English teacher, a teacher with a bad attitude, bored, discouraged, unmotivated and who, on top of that, sees his students as sheep who are not capable of learning, is going to be a teacher who, even if he has a degree in English philology, is not going to encourage learning.

On the other hand, going to class highly motivated and being sympathetic to the students is not useful if the teacher does not master the language he/she is trying to teach, or if he/she does not understand the grammar and vocabulary.

Is there room for improvement?

Although the differences between attitude and aptitude are obvious, there are two aspects in which they coincide. The first, which we have already discussed, is that they are fundamental in any work context. You cannot have too much of one and too little of the other. The second common aspect is that both attitude and aptitude can be improved.

Improving these aptitudes and attitudes can be fundamental when it comes to finding a job, especially considering that we live in a world in which more and more skills are required of us.Especially considering that we live in a world in which more and more skills are required of us, but we must also show a more complex way of relating to others, both emotionally and cognitively. That is to say, we are asked to have a lot of knowledge and, at the same time, to have leadership, to show quick decision making, to be flexible in terms of new experiences?

Improving skills is something that seems obvious, but it does not seem so clear to work on attitude, something that, as we have indicated before, is closely related to personality. However, if psychology has taught us anything, it is that, although everyone tends to be the way they are throughout their lives, it is possible to work on personality traits, promoting lasting and adaptive changes. In other words, to improve the personality.

With the work of psychologists, we can work to acquire new and more efficient attitudes in the workplace.. This is done through demanding personal, intimate and responsible work, as well as self-knowledge. Only by knowing what habits or inefficient behaviors you are doing, together with the whole belief system behind them, will you be able to improve, specifically in your attitudes and, in general, as a person.

As for the improvement of skills, this is easier than with attitudes, but still involves effort. Knowing our skills and weaknesses is the first step to focus the process of improving our skills. Una vez detectadas, se puede hacer una investigación sobre qué recursos existen para lograr mejorar aquello que deseamos. Nunca se es lo suficientemente bueno en nada, siempre hay que ir a más y a mejor.

Referencias bibliográficas:

• Sturgeon, M. (2017). Aptitude, Attitude, and Motivation as Predictors of Foreign Language Learning. 10.13140/RG.2.2.15457.10085.
• Alderman, M. K. (2003). Motivation for achievement: Possibilities for teaching and Learning: Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc Inc.
• Weiner, B. (1972). Attribution theory, achievement motivation, and the educational process. Review of Educational Research, 42(2), 203-215
• Weiner, B. (1985). An attribution theory of motivation and emotion. Achievement, stress and anxiety, 93-125.