Social Psychology
Class 6
Prof. Gabriel Camacho, Ph.D.
Week of October 5, 2020
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
1
Agenda
1. Cognitive Dissonance
2. Postdecision Dissonance
3. Justifying our Decisions &
changing behavior
4. Self–Affirmation Theory
5. Summary
2
Self–Esteem
People’s evaluations of their own
self–worth—the extent to which
they view themselves as good,
competent, and decent
3
The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance: Protecting
Our Self–Esteem
4
•Cognitive dissonance
•Discomfort that people feel when two cognitions (beliefs,
attitudes) conflict, or when they behave in ways that are
inconsistent with their conception of themselves
•People try to maintain a consistent self-image, even with
themselves, so when our self–image is inconsistent, it threatens
our self–esteem
Self–Concept
I’m a Good Father
