Cognitive Dissonance BEHAVIOR AND BELIEF 

Dissonance 

Created by inconsistency between a person's two beliefs or belief and action.

When actions and beliefs, or beliefs and beliefs don't agree.

New Job example

High pay

Health Benefits

401k

Vacation

Steal puppies from young children

Reducing Dissonance 

Selective Exposure

Post-decision Dissonance

Minimal Justification

Selective Exposure

People avoid information likely to increase dissonance.

"Stick to their own kind"

Only ignore information perceived as a threat

Post-decision Dissonance

Internal tension after decision

3 heightening conditions

(1) Importance of the issue

(2) Delay in choosing between options

(3) Reversibility of decision

Minimal Justification

Hypothesis that the best way to stimulate attitude change is to offer just enough incentive to elicit counter-attitudinal behavior.

Behavior ----> Attitude

Compliance- Public conformity to another's expectation without necessarily having a private conviction that matches the behavior.

Would You Lie For A Dollar?

Some students offered $1 some offered $20

Students whom accepted $1 formed other justifications

Counterattitudinal advocacy- Publicly urging others to believe or do something opposed to what the advocate actually believes.

Cognitive Dissonance Revisions

Self-Consistency: The Rationalizing Animal

Personal Responsibility for Bad Outcomes

Self-Affirmation to Dissipate Dissonance

Rationalizing Animal

“Humans are rationalizing animals who want to appear rational to themselves”- P.224

Rationalizing to self based on attitude or behavior performed.

Attitude/Behavior

InconsistencyDissonance

CreatedAttitude Change

Dissonance Reduced

Personal Responsibility

Acceptance of personal responsibility requires that the person know ahead of time of the negative consequences their actions will cause

Existence of a feeling of responsibility after an action/behavior creates dissonance

Attitude/Behavior Inconsistency

Dissonance Created

Responsibility

Self-Affirmation

Calling upon positive thoughts blot out concern for restoring consistency

Motivated to maintain an overall moral self-image

Dissonance Created

Attitude Change

Self-Affirmation

Online Facebook SurveyCognitive Dissonance Texting and Driving

Change in BehaviorChange in Attitude

Critique

Inaccuracy of Measurement

Cannot Falsify Theory

Observeability (Hawthorne Effect)

Self-Perception Theory