The 3 differences between attitude and aptitude

It is quite common that the words “attitude” and “aptitude” are confused since they are very similar, both graphically and phonetically. Just change one letter.

It is because of this that either they are taken to be synonymous, or their meaning is rotated without realizing it. Even so, they refer to very different concepts, although equally important depending on the fields, such as work or education.

Next We are going to see the differences between attitude and aptitude, along with their meanings and some examples related to the world of work.

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What do attitude and aptitude mean?

Attitude and aptitude are words that are often confused, since they are very similar phonetically and graphically, only changing one letter. In addition to this, both terms tend to go hand in hand, making it difficult, at times, 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 various situations, that is, it has to do with aspects of personality, temperament. Instead, when we refer to aptitude we refer, basically, to his abilities. Likewise, to further understand the differences between the two terms, we are going to 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 consistently. That is, we are referring to an aspect of his personality, his more or less natural tendency to show himself in different contexts, such as work, personal, family, social...

So that, the attitude of a subject has to do with the way he acts before the experience of a circumstance, or being close to an object or person that trigger 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 fitness?

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 to achieve a certain function, be it work or academic, or an objective that has been proposed.

So that, It has a lot to do with knowledge, both theoretical and practical., although it is true that a certain natural component must be highlighted here, be it innate or acquired.

For example, when we say that a person has mastery of languages ​​as an aptitude, in addition to referring to the fact that he speaks several languages, we also mean that he has the ability to understand his grammar, quickly memorize new vocabulary, imitate phonemes...

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

For example, in the world of programming, it is necessary to have analysis as a good aptitude. logic and problem solving, as well as knowing how to fluently understand different languages ​​of programming.

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

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The differences between attitude and aptitude, explained

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

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

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

Example: the English teacher

Imagine an English teacher. Showing a good attitude, this teacher should be patient, understand his students when they feel frustrated because they don't get the pronunciation right or when they don't understand the grammar. In addition, this same teacher should have a "spark", that is, make 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 must know how to teach, especially in a subject as problematic as languages. He must know useful methods for teaching foreign languages, in addition to being a speaker with an almost native level of the language he is teaching.

Thus, it can be understood that although with different meanings, both terms refer to fundamental aspects in every profession. Having one but completely lacking the other makes it very difficult to work properly, if not impossible at all.

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

On the other hand, going to class highly motivated and being understanding with the students is not useful if that teacher does not master the language he is trying to teach, or is not clear with grammar and vocabulary.

Can they be improved?

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

Improving these skills and attitudes can be essential when it comes to finding a job, especially considering that we live in a world where more and more skills are required of us but, in addition, we must show a way of relating to others, both emotionally and cognitively, more complex. In other words, we are asked to have a lot of knowledge and, at the same time, have leadership, show quick decision-making, be flexible in terms of new experiences...

Improving skills is something that seems obvious, but working on attitude does not seem so clear, 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 as they are at Throughout your life, you can work on personality traits, promoting lasting changes and adaptive. That is, improve the personality.

With the work of psychologists you can work to acquire new, more efficient attitudes in the workplace. This is done through demanding personal, intimate and responsible work, as well as self-knowledge. Just knowing what inefficient habits or behaviors are being done, along with the entire system of beliefs behind it, it will be possible to improve, specifically, in attitudes and, in general, as person.

As for improving skills, this is easier than with attitudes, but it still takes effort. Knowing our strengths and weaknesses is the first step to focus the process of improving our skills. Once detected, an investigation can be made into what resources exist to improve what we want. You are never good enough at anything, you always have to go for more and better.

Bibliographic references:

• Sturgeon, M. (2017). Aptitude, Attitude, and Motivation as Predictors of Foreign Language Learning. 10.13140/RG.2.2.15457.10085.
• Aldermann, 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.