Cognitive Dissonance

Theory of Cognitive Dissonance

Consonant & Dissonant

Dissonance = aversive drive state (don’t like aversiveness)

Cognitive Dissonance

State of tension occurs when individual simultaneously holds 2 cognitions that are psychologically inconsistent

• created if behavior is inconsistent with pre-existing attitude

Motivated to reduce unpleasant tensions

Decrease by: changing behavior; justifying actions, feelings, or beliefs

Dissonant Situations

Difficult decisions, Effort Justification, Insufficient justification,

Dissonance after situation:

(+) aspects of chosen & (-) aspects of rejected are constant cognitions

(-) aspects of chosen & (+) aspects of rejected are dissonant cognitions

Brehm (1956)

Easy decision = pick appliance (one you like & one you don’t like)

Difficult decision = pick appliance (pick one you like between 2 you kind of like)

Control = gift (receive appliance as gift)

Effort Justification

Suffering for something can cause us to find it more desirable

• The fact that activity is unpleasant is dissonant with engaging in activity

• Dissonance should be greater the more unpleasant the activity

Exaggerating attractiveness of the outcome can reduce dissonance (adding a consonant cognition)

Aronson & Mills (1959)

Women participate in “Psych of Sex” discussion group

• Manipulated difficulty of joining the group

Control: just listen to the DG

Mild: Read erotic words to the experimenter

Severe: Read erotic story to the experimenter

Festinger & Carlsmith (1959)

Induced Compliance

Perform repetitive, boring task → lie to someone about it

Independent Variable: Paid $1 or $20

Dependent Variable: Did you like the task?

Sufficient Justification ($20)

Strong external reason for the actions of lying (no dissonance to produce change)

Insufficient Justification ($1)

No good reason for the action of lying (dissonance → motivated to change)