Study Notes on Consistency and Commitment

Norm of Consistency
- Definition: Current beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors must not contradict one another and should not contradict those from our past.
  - Contradicting in the Present:
  - Terms: nuts, hypocrite, two-faced
  - Past-Present Contradiction:
  - Terms: flighty, flip-flopper

External Pressures:
- Justification of public actions, often referred to as “facework.”
Internal Pressures:
- Rationale for thoughts and actions.
  - Attitudinal Balance: Harmonizing attitudes across scenarios.
  - Cognitive Dissonance: The psychological discomfort experienced when holding two conflicting beliefs.
Commitment:
- Self-perception shaped through interactions with others, as articulated by Charles Cooley in 1902, known as the "Looking-Glass Self."

Influence of Freud (1955):
- Quote: “Choose your self-presentations carefully, for what starts out as a mask may become your face.”
Self-Presentation:
- Framework: The social world treated as a theatrical performance.
- Concept: Life is dramatically enacted, suggesting that individuals perform for others.
- Acting: Participants craft roles for different contexts, akin to theatrical performances.
- Metaphor: The world is our ‘stage.’

Core Principle:
- Balance refers to consistency in attitudes between people.
- Motivation to agree with preferred individuals and disagree with others.
Balanced Triads:
- Positive relationships among individuals with aligned attitudes.
Unbalanced Triads:
- Individuals with conflicting or inconsistent attitudes in relationships.
Examples of Balance/Unbalance:
- Positive associations:
  - If you like Beyoncé, should you not also like Pepsi?
- Negative associations:
  - If you dislike the Noid (associated with Domino’s), should you not try Domino’s?

Examples in Political Advertising:
- "Kamala Chameleon" (2024): Ad about Harris addressing balance and imbalance.
- Trump Ad about Harris: Focus on contrasting attitudes.
- Harris Ad about Trump: Ad called “Control” (2024), showcasing balance/imbalance dynamics.

Definition of Dissonance:
- Unpleasant psychological tension arising from conflicting beliefs or attitudes.
Illustrative Examples:
- A: "I am a smart person."
  - B: "I got a D on my math exam."
- A: "GSW will win the NBA 2016 Championship."
  - B: "New England won."
- A: "All humans will die in a flood on Dec 21, 1954."
  - B: "It’s Dec. 22 and I’m alive and dry."

Strategy 1:
- Change one or both beliefs to ensure compatibility.
- Examples:
  - A: "I thought the building was safe."
  - B: "It collapsed."
  - Hindsight Bias: Belief revision to align with reality.
  - A: "I thought Atlanta would win."
  - B: "New England won."
Illustrative Scenario:
- A: "I thought Atlanta will win."
  - B: "New England won by cheating."

Strategy 2:
- Introduce a third belief that reconciles the first two.
- Example:
  - A: "I am a smart person."
  - B: "I got a D on my Chemistry exam."
  - C: "The test was unfair."
Further Complications:
- Attribution Theory:
  - External Attribution: Blaming external factors for failure.
  - Internal Attribution: Self-directed explanations for outcomes.
Group example:
- Cult (Guardian/Seeker Cult, 1951-4): Engaged in justification for inconsistencies in beliefs.

Example: When considering oil and gas industries' significance vs. their impact on global warming.
- A: "Oil and gas industries are vital to the world economy."
- B: "Oil and gas consumption contributes to global warming."
- Resolution:
  - C: "Using alternative energy sources can replace oil without harming the economy."
- Alternatively, one might deny scientific evidence related to climate change to maintain a belief in economic necessity.