Module: Cognitive Dissonance and Effort Justification

Definition: A state of psychological discomfort or tension that arises when a person's attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors are in conflict, or when new information conflicts with existing beliefs. As psychologist Leon Festinger observed, this tension is uncomfortable and motivates individuals to reduce it.
Initial Context: Implicit Bias and Identity: The discussion began by considering attitudes related to New Zealand identity and the images people associate with it. An Implicit Association Test (IAT) task was mentioned, where participants were separated by ethnicity (e.g., New Zealand Asian participants). Initial findings suggested no significant difference in associations, but the core idea of an IAT task is to examine socialization and connections between two stimuli in a culture or what comes to mind for people.

To alleviate the discomfort of cognitive dissonance, individuals are motivated to reduce it in several ways:

Changing Thoughts: Altering the way one thinks about a decision or belief.
Seeking External Support: Attempting to change how others perceive or think about one's decision, aiming to gain their support.
Modifying Behavior: Adjusting aspects of one's behavior so that it aligns more closely with decisions or personal character.
The fundamental goal is to reduce the discrepancy between how one believes they should act and how they actually act, by changing either their cognitive processes or their actions.

Background: Conducted by Leon Festinger and his colleague Merrill Carlsmith in the mid-1950s, this experiment is a cornerstone in understanding cognitive dissonance.
Methodology: Students were asked to perform