Media Studies Chapter 9 Homework These Actions Are Counter attitudinal Person Freely Chooses

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CHAPTER 9: COGNITIVE DISSONANCE THEORY

Chapter objectives

This chapter introduces cognitive dissonance theory, a classic psychological perspective on

attitudes. It provides an overview of instances where an individual is more likely to experience

cognitive dissonance and ways individuals commonly attempt to decrease dissonance. The

chapter also discusses applications of the dissonance theory.

Terms and issues to know

Cognitive dissonance

Components of dissonance theory

Dissonance and decision-making

Dissonance and expenditure of effort

Induced compliance

Chapter outline

I. Foundations

A. Psychological theory

B. Leon Festinger

C. Dissonance means discord, incongruity, or strife

D. Cognitive dissonance:

2. Two cognitions are in a dissonant relationship when the opposite of one cognitive

element follows from the other

4. Core components:

a. Dissonance is psychologically uncomfortable, physiologically arousing, and

drives individuals to take steps to reduce it

b. Dissonance occurs when an individual:

i. Holds two clearly incongruent thoughts

ii. Freely performs a behavior that is inconsistent with an attitude

iii. Makes a decision that rules out a desirable alternative

c. The magnitude of dissonance depends on a host of factors, including the number

of dissonant elements and the importance of the issue

d. People are motivated to take steps to reduce dissonance, including changing

their attitude in response to a persuasive message

II. Dissonance and Decision Making

dissonance (Aronson, 1968)

C. If you can revise your decision you should have less dissonance

D. Research suggests the following techniques are used to reduce dissonance:

1. Change your attitude

3. Derogate the unselected alternative

4. Spread apart the alternatives

5. Alter the importance of the cognitive elements

7. Communicate

8. Alter the behavior

E. People prefer easier to harder ways of changing cognitive elements (Simon et al., 1995)

III. Dissonance and Expenditure of Effort

A. No matter how attractive a group is to a person it is rarely completely positive; usually

there are some aspects of the group that the individual does not like

2. May convince oneself that the group has many positive characteristics that justify the

1. People do not always rationalize effort by changing their attitude toward the group

2. May reduce dissonance in other ways – for example, by trivializing the initiation rite

IV. Induced Compliance

A. Dissonance theory makes the prediction that under circumstances where a person is

coaxed to argue publicly for a position he or she does not privately accept and cannot

justify doing so, they would come to evaluate the proposal favorably

2. Person freely chooses to perform an action that is inconsistent with his or her beliefs

or attitude

4. One way to reduce dissonance is to

the behavior

5. Convinces oneself that one really agrees with the message

B. Leon Festinger and J. Merrill Carlsmith in 1959 tested the theory:

1. Participant asked to take part in boring task then asked to tell next participant it had

been enjoyable

3. If paid $20, more easily justified, reducing dissonance

4. $1 condition rated the task more enjoyable suggesting they changed their attitude to

be consistent with behavior

C. Applications

2. Example: children exercising

V. Explanations and Controversies

A. People are driven by an overarching need to reduce inconsistency

B. Reasons for doing so has been interpreted in different ways by different scholars

C. Unpleasant Consequences + Responsibility = Dissonance

F. Dissonance occurs when you are concerned that you look bad in front of others

G. Dissonance involves a threat to self-esteem

VI. Summary

A. Dissonance produces genuine, abiding changes in attitudes, beliefs, and behavior

B. Particularly powerful effects when the issue is important to the individual and touches on

the self-concept

C. Person must have freely chosen to perform the advocated behavior

D. Dissonance does not produce attitude change when behavior is coerced; in such

situations, the person feels no internal need to rationalize the behavior

VII. Dissonance and Persuasion

A. Suggestions for persuaders on how to use dissonance theory to change attitudes:

1. Make a commitment public

3. Confront people with their own hypocrisy

VIII. Conclusions

A. Dissonance is an uncomfortable state that arises when individuals hold psychologically

inconsistent cognitions

B. Dissonance also refers to feeling personally responsible for unpleasant consequences,

Discussion points/ projects/ questions

1. Think of a situation where cognitive dissonance may occur. What are some of the ways

an individual in that situation could reduce dissonance according to your text? The text

2. Consider the Festinger/ Carlsmith (1959) induced compliance study. Discuss why the $1

condition created more dissonance than the $20 condition. Do you think no money would

have been even more likely to create a situation of induced compliance? Why or why

not?