UNIT 14Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Important Elements

CognitionsA belief, opinion, or attitude, or piece of knowledge about anything (persons, objects, issues, ourselves . . . .)

Relations between Cognitions

Our thoughts may be related to each other in different ways

1. No relationship

- The thoughts are irrelevant to each other. Your thoughts about ice cream and World Peace.

2. Consonance

- The thoughts are consistent with each other. I like the teacher and I like the subject.

3. Dissonance

- The thoughts are inconsistent with each other. I smoke, yet I know smoking causes cancer.

We Don’t like Dissonance and we will do what ever is necessary to get rid

of dissonance!!!

TheProcess

Conflict-- We experience conflict when making decisions.-- The More similar our alternatives, the more dissonance we experience.

-- Persuasive messages try to decrease this conflict.

Decision-- We make our choice between competing alternatives.

Dissonance-- After we make decisions we always question those decisions-- Our decision is both positive and negative. The alternative decision may also seem positive (grass is always greener on the other side syndrome)

Regret-- If the initial alternatives are re-evaluated as being more similar than we first thought.

-- This causes discomfort

Dissonance Reduction

-- When we experience dissonance we try to reduce it

-- How we do it is coming up right now!!!

Degree of

Dissonance

Similarity of Initial Evaluations

The more similar our initial evaluations of the alternatives, the greater the strength of the dissonance we will feel.

Importance of the Decision

Because important decisions have greater consequences, we are likely to experience dissonance over them.

Dissonance Reduction

1. Evaluate chose alternative more positively

2. Evaluate rejected alternative less positively

3. Reduce the importance of the decision

EXPERIMENT

Festinger & Carlsmith (1959)

1. Do a boring task2. When the next subject comes in, tell them it was a lot of fun.3. Two Groups (One earned $1 the other earned $20)

4. Result = Justification – we are less dissonant if we can justify our behavior

IMPLICATIONSSaturn Cult: does follow-up calls after you have bought a car.