A First Look At Communication Theory, 10e (Griffin)
Chapter 16 Cognitive Dissonance Theory
1) The tendency people have to avoid information that would create cognitive dissonance
because it’s incompatible with their current beliefs is called:
A) selective exposure.
B) rationality.
C) predictive selection.
D) cognitive dissonance.
2) Dorothy, a social activist, loves to listen to speeches of well-known activists. She loves to read
autobiographies of renowned social workers and their journey toward successful reforms. Her
circle of friends mainly comprises people who care for society. In this case, Dorothy’s tendency
most likely exemplifies ________.
A) self-fulfilling prophecy
B) self-perception
C) selective exposure hypothesis
D) minimal justification hypothesis
3) Publicly urging others to believe or do something that is opposed to what the speaker or
persuader actually believes is called ________.
A) hyperpersonal perspective
B) counterattitudinal advocacy
C) self-affirmation
D) self-fulfilling prophecy
4) Dieter Frey found that selective exposure does not operate if:
A) the rewards for paying attention are great.
B) we do not regard the dissonant information as a threat.
C) we are allowed to choose what we hear and see.
D) None of the answers is correct.
5) Which of the following did Leon Festinger and his followers focus on to serve as an end
product of dissonance?
A) attitude change
B) behavior modification
C) belief discrepancy
D) All of the answers are correct.
6) According to Festinger’s minimal justification hypothesis, the best way to affect long-term
attitudinal change is to:
A) persuade your subjects that the desired attitude is desirable.
B) persuade your subjects to change their behavior and their attitudes will follow.
C) use reverse psychology by asking them to believe the opposite.
D) offer your subjects a generous reward or severe punishment as inducement.
7) For Joel Cooper, dissonance is generated by:
A) the knowledge that one’s actions have unnecessarily hurt another person.
B) high self-esteem.
C) low self-esteem.
D) the fact that we are rationalizing, rather than rational, animals who want to appear reasonable
to ourselves.
8) According to Stanford psychologist Claude Steele, which of the following factors is most
likely to dissipate dissonance?
A) selective exposure
B) self-consistency
C) personal responsibility
D) self-affirmation
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9) Having run his own $1/$20 experiment, Daryl Bem states that:
A) Festinger’s basic hypothesis remains sound.
B) Aronson’s contributions to the theory are suspicious.
C) recent assertions about self-perception enhance the minimal justification hypothesis.
D) self-perception is a simpler explanation of the observed behavior than cognitive dissonance.
10) Cognitive dissonance theory has been criticized for being too:
A) simple.
B) difficult to test.
C) dependent on humanistic research techniques.
D) deterministic.
11) Postdecision dissonance is likely to heighten when an individual delays in choosing between
two equally attractive alternatives.
12) Entertainment is a tried-and-true way to get around people’s selective exposure filters.
13) One of the criticisms of cognitive dissonance theory is that it is too difficult to test.
14) Selective exposure is not a significant factor if we do not regard the dissonant information as
a threat.
15) Warm personal relationships are highly unlikely to make people consider ideas that seem
threatening.
16) The reward offered to perform a behavior is inversely proportional to cognitive dissonance.
17) Cognitive dissonance is not prompted by threats or punishments, only by promises or
rewards.
18) Dissonance is likely if the decision at hand will be difficult to reverse.
19) Stanford psychologist Claude Steele assumes that dissonance always drives people to justify
their actions by changing their attitudes.
20) To put cognitive dissonance theory into practice, a salesperson should employ the hard sell.
21) The minimal justification hypothesis suggests that ________ precedes or can change attitude.
22) According to Joel Cooper, dissonance isn’t created by inconsistency but by ________.
23) ________ is an alternative to cognitive dissonance theory and claims that people determine
their attitudes the same way outside observers do.
24) Which critic/extender/modifier of cognitive dissonance theory do you find most convincing:
Aronson, Cooper, Steele, or Bem? Why?
25) Discuss the three basic hypotheses associated with cognitive dissonance theory.
26) According to Festinger, what is the causal relationship between attitude and behavior? How
does this relationship affect one’s attempt to influence others?
27) What would Festinger have to say about the “Just say no!” drug prevention campaign?
28) Define and illustrate cognitive dissonance. Is it possible to avoid?
29) Using examples to develop your response, discuss the minimal justification hypothesis.
30) Why is the $1/$20 experiment important to cognitive dissonance theory? Discuss the various
interpretations it has inspired.
31) Is persuasion utilizing cognitive dissonance principles a social influence or a self influence?
32) Respond to the following quote: “Of all the theories presented in this book (or so far in this
class), cognitive dissonance engenders the least respect for human nature.”
33) Compare the three influence theories featured in this book. What are their primary
similarities and differences? Which do you find most compelling, useful, problematic, difficult to
understand, or apply?
34) How might one’s level of cognitive complexity influence how much a person is swayed by
cognitive dissonance? Is it fair to say that a person who scores high on cognitive complex is
highly capable of dealing with a dissonance between attitude and action?