Social Psych Lecture 10 3.4

Cognitive Dissonance Theory (Festinger, 1957, 1964): discomfort when two cognitions or cognition and behavior conflict
- Creates a "drive state"
- Aronson's Revision:
  - Most acute or painful when dissonant cognition challenges our self-esteem/self-worth
- Reducing Dissonance:
  - Change behavior
  - Change cognition
  - Add consonant cognitions
- Decisions:
  - Brehm (1956)
    - Rate appliances
    - Choice between two equally-rated
    - Re-rate appliances
      - chosen increases slightly
      - not chosen rated much lower
  - Irrevocability
    - Knox & Inkster (1968):
      - Betting at race track
      - How certain horse will win?
        
        Either before bet or after
      - Who had more confidence?
        
        After
    - Gilbert & Ebert (2002)
      - Choice between 2 photographs
        
        Before choice, equally liked
      - 1/2 have 5 days to change mind, 1/2 don't
      - Who liked chosen photo most?
- Effort Justification Paradigm (Aronson & Mills, 1959)
  - Long Version
  - Schematic Version
    - I engaged in an embarrassing task
    - The group I joined is boring
    - How to reduce dissonance?
    - The screening was mild
    - The screening was severe
    - How interesting was discussion?
      - Severe screening rated as more interesting
  - We like what we have suffered for
    - (Severe punishment leads to greater liking than mild punishment)
- Induced Compliance Paradigm (Festinger & Carlsmith, 1959)
  - Long Version
  - Schematic Version:
    - I engaged in a dull, boring task
    - I told someone else it was fun
    - How to reduce dissonance?
    - I was paid $20 to lie
    - I was paid $1 to lie
    - Q: How fun and exciting was the task?
      - $1 rated task more positively
  - Behavior-->Attitude
    - Small rewards produce greater attitude changes than large ones (Attitude Paradox)
- Forbidden Toy Paradigm (Aronson & Carlsmith, 1963)
  - Method
    - Five-year-old children told not to play with an attractive toy
      - Severe threat: "I would take all my toys and never come back."
      - Mild threat: "I would be a little angry if you played with the toy."
      - Q: Rate the toy
        
        I like the toy
        
        I'm not playing with it
        
        How to reduce dissonance?
        
        Results: children in the mild threat condition evaluated the toy more negatively than children in the severe threat condition
        
        Mild punishment (threat) produces greater attitude change than severe threat