Cognitive Dissonance Chapter 6

Psyc 212 Exam 1

What are the basic tenets of Cognitive Dissonance Theory?

Cognitions → relevant or irrelevant

If relevant → consonant or dissonant

Dissonance causes negative arousal

We are motivated to reduce the arousal

What are the ways to reduce cognitive dissonance?

hange behavior

Change one thought/cognition

Add consonant cognitions

Reduce importance of conflict

Reduce perceived choice

What is the Free-Choice Paradigm?

Choose between 2 similarly valued options → post-decision dissonance → doubt/regret → spread the alternatives.

How is post-decision dissonance reduced?

Inflate the chosen option + downgrade the rejected option.

What is the Belief-Disconfirmation Paradigm?

Strong belief is proven wrong → dissonance → committed people may double down on the belief.

What is the Effort-Justification Paradigm?

Do something unpleasant to get desired outcome → value outcome more because of effort.

What did Aronson & Mills find?

Severe initiation → greater liking of mediocre group. More effort/suffering = more justification.

What is the Insufficient Justification Paradigm?

Do/say something against beliefs with little external justification → dissonance → attitude change/self-persuasion.

What happened in the peg-turning study?

1 group changed attitude more. $1 = little external justification → dissonance → “Maybe it was enjoyable.”

Large vs. small external justification?

Large reward = less dissonance/change. Small reward = more dissonance → internal attitude change.

What is the Hypocrisy Paradigm?

Cog 1: I publicly condemn/advocate this.

Cog 2: But I do the opposite.

→ Dissonance.

How does hypocrisy induction reduce dissonance?

Make people aware of conflict between behavior + stated beliefs → negative arousal → behavior change.

What is Self-Affirmation Theory?

People can reduce threats to self-esteem by affirming themselves in an area unrelated to the threat.

What are the 5 classic dissonance paradigms?

Free Choice • Belief Disconfirmation • Effort Justification • Insufficient Justification • Hypocrisy