Cognitive Dissonance Theory

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Cognitive Dissonance Theory

• By Michael Dickens, Nathaniel Kuhns, Courtney
  Sheets

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Author Leon Festinger
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Origins

• 1957
• Roots in Psychology
• Cigarette conflict gave rise to theory
• Coffin Nails

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Methodology Epistemology

• Self-report
• Objectivist
• On a scale of 1 to 5 this theory would fall under
  a 5.

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Definition

• Cognitive thought
• Dissonance conflict
• The distressing mental state caused by
  inconsistency between a persons two beliefs or a
  belief and an action. (Griffin 8th ed., 2012)

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Definition cont.

• Whenever we behave in a way that is inconsistent
  a fierce all consuming drive state enters your
  mind and forces you to make a change in order to
  relieve that state. (Eidenmuller, 2012)

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Definition cont.

• A persons conflicting thoughts or ideas which
  directly cause changes in behavior or attitudes
  associated with those thoughts or ideas.
  (Dickens, Kuhns, Sheets, 2013)

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Fox and the Grapes

• One afternoon a fox was walking through the
  forest and spotted a bunch of grapes hanging from
  over a lofty branch. Just the thing to quench my
  thirst," quoth he. Taking a few steps back, the
  fox jumped and just missed the hanging grapes.
  Again the fox took a few paces back and tried to
  reach them but still failed. Finally, giving up,
  the fox turned up his nose and said, "They're
  probably sour anyway," and proceeded to walk
  away.

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Reduction of Dissonance

• Selective Exposure The tendency people have to
  avoid information that would create cognitive
  dissonance because its incompatible with their
  current beliefs.

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Reduction of Dissonance cont.

• Post decision dissonance strong doubts
  experienced after making an important, close-call
  decision that is difficult to reverse. (This is a
  type of dissonance, but it is suggestive of a
  person who can predict their future dissonance
  and thus changes their current behavior.)

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Reduction of Dissonance cont.

• Minimal Justification a claim that the best way
  to stimulate an attitude change in others is to
  offer just enough incentive to elicit
  counterattitudinal behavior.

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Reduction of Dissonance cont.

• (Additional)
• Try to acquire new information that will increase
  the harmony
• Change one or more beliefs associated with the
  dissonance
• Reduce the importance that caused this dissonance

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Linear Model (A)
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Linear Model (B)
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Linear Model (C)
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Linear Model (D)
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Linear Model
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Concepts

• Compliance
• Counterattitudional Advocacy
• Dissonance Thermoator

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Criticism Competing Theories

• Falsifiability
• Measurable Data
• Observe-ability
• Self-Perception Theory

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Questions

• 1. Which statement creates Cognitive Dissonance?
• I want to sing, and I have the voice of an angel.
  
• I really need a band-aid, and there is one in my
  pocket.
• I have to have an orange, but I am allergic to
  Vitamin C.
• We want to go get a hamburger, and we have just
  enough money to do so.

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Questions

• 1. Which statement creates Cognitive Dissonance?
• I want to sing, and I have the voice of an angel.
  
• I really need a band-aid, and there is one in my
  pocket.
• I have to have an orange, but I am allergic to
  Vitamin C.
• We want to go get a hamburger, and we have just
  enough money to do so.

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Questions

• 2. Out of these definitions, which is closest to
  the definition provided by the book?
• An uncomfortable feeling caused by holding
  conflicting ideas simultaneously.
• The distressing mental state caused by
  inconsistency between a persons two beliefs or a
  belief and an action.
• Two polar opposite mental feelings caused from a
  behavior and an attitude.
• A persons conflicting thoughts or ideas which
  directly cause changes in behavior or attitudes
  associated with those thoughts or ideas.

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Questions

• 2. Out of these definitions, which is closest to
  the definition provided by the book?
• An uncomfortable feeling caused by holding
  conflicting ideas simultaneously.
• The distressing mental state caused by
  inconsistency between a persons two beliefs or a
  belief and an action.
• Two polar opposite mental feelings caused from a
  behavior and an attitude.
• A persons conflicting thoughts or ideas which
  directly cause changes in behavior or attitudes
  associated with those thoughts or ideas.

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Questions

• 3. Which statement(s) would cause the least
  amount of Cognitive Dissonance?
• I want to hang out with Courtney, but she is in
  Spain.
• I need my phone, but its upstairs and I am
  downstairs.
• I have to make an A on my test, but I didnt
  study very much
• I want some water, but I am in the desert.

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Questions

• 3. Which statement(s) would cause the least
  amount of Cognitive Dissonance?
• I want to hang out with Courtney, but she is in
  Spain.
• I need my phone, but its upstairs and I am
  downstairs.
• I have to make an A on my test, but I didnt
  study very much
• I want some water, but I am in the desert.

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Questions

• 4. How many hypotheses are there in the reduction
  of Cognitive Dissonance?
• 4
• 1
• 6
• 3

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Questions

• 4. How many hypotheses are there in the reduction
  of Cognitive Dissonance?
• 4
• 1
• 6
• 3

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Questions

• 5. Which of the following is not a hypothesis of
  reducing Cognitive Dissonance?
• Expectancy Violation
• Selective Exposure
• Minimal Justification
• Postdecision Dissonance

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Questions

• 5. Which of the following is not a hypothesis of
  reducing Cognitive Dissonance?
• Expectancy Violation
• Selective Exposure
• Minimal Justification
• Postdecision Dissonance

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Fill in the Blank

• 1._________ and _________ must be present to have
  Cognitive Dissonance.
• 2. ________________ is the act of publicly urging
  someone to believe or do something that is
  ________ to what the advocate actually believes.
• 3. The tendency people have to avoid certain
  information that would create Cognitive
  Dissonance is known as _______________

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Fill in the Blank

• 1. A Behavior and an attitude must be present to
  have Cognitive Dissonance.
• 2.Counterattitudinal advocacy is the act of
  publicly urging someone to believe or do
  something that is opposed to what the advocate
  actually believes.
• 3. The tendency people have to avoid certain
  information that would create Cognitive
  Dissonance is known as selective exposure

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Fill in the Blank

• 4. The ________________ claims that we determine
  our attitudes the same way outside observers do.
• 5. ____________ Dissonance is when a person has
  strong doubts after making an important or
  close-call decision that is difficult to reverse.

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Fill in the Blank

• 4. The Self-perception theory claims that we
  determine our attitudes the same way outside
  observers do.
• 5. Post decision dissonance is when a person has
  strong doubts after making an important or
  close-call decision that is difficult to reverse.

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Claims

• 1. A woman has an abortion, but believes that
  murder is a sin.
• 2. A child is starving on the streets with no
  where to go, so he steals a loaf of bread from a
  gas station.
• 3. A son tells his mom that she is beautiful
  after she is injured in a fire, and the son truly
  believes this.
• 4. A kid gets punched by a bully on the
  playground, so the kid hit him back because that
  is what he was taught.

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Sources

• http//1.bp.blogspot.com/_mdzxy-KaZE8/S68UYP6fP7I/
  AAAAAAAAAHE/DNU0i_6tJTg/s1600/leon-festinger-pic.j
  pg (Picture)
• Aesop's fables. (n.d.). Retrieved from
  http//www.umass.edu/aesop/content.php?n10i1