cognitive_dissonance_theory
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- | ====== Cognitive Dissonance Theory ====== | + | :cognitive_dissonance_theory |
- | Cognitive Dissonance theory was first developed by Leon Festinger in 1956 after the publication of a book, | + | |
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- | In the course of his investigations Festinger, a trained psychologist, | + | |
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- | Given the reality of Earth' | + | |
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- | Festinger suggested that to rationalize, | + | |
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- | Festinger, Carlsmith, and several colleagues, went on to more fully and clinically investigate cognitive dissonance theory through an experiment or case study that was developed at Stanford University in 1956 but the results of which became widely known after appearing in an academic psychology journal in 1959:- | + | |
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- | We tend to intuitively expect that peoples actions are guided by their opinions but Cognitive Dissonance theory is one of several action-opinion theories which hold that peoples actions can lead to subsequent influence on their individual beliefs and attitudes through rationalisations that takes place to preserve the integrity of that persons self image or overall world view. | + | |
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- | Cognitive dissonance theory is based on three fundamental assumptions. | + | |
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- | - Humans are sensitive to inconsistencies between actions and beliefs. | + | |
- | * According to the theory, we all recognize, at some level, when we are acting in a way that is inconsistent with our beliefs/ | + | |
- | - Recognition of this inconsistency will cause dissonance, and will motivate an individual to resolve the dissonance. | + | |
- | * Once you recognize that you have violated one of your principles, according to this theory, you won’t just say "oh well". You will feel some sort of mental anguish about this. The degree of dissonance, of course, will vary with the importance of your belief/ | + | |
- | - Dissonance will be resolved in one of three basic ways: | + | |
- | - Change beliefs | + | |
- | * Perhaps the simplest way to resolve dissonance between actions and beliefs is simply to change your beliefs. You could, of course, just decide that cheating is o.k. This would take care of any dissonance. However, if the belief is fundamental and important to you such a course of action is unlikely. Moreover, our basic beliefs and attitudes are pretty stable, and people don’t just go around changing basic beliefs/ | + | |
- | - Change actions | + | |
- | * A second option would be to make sure that you never do this action again. Lord knows that guilt and anxiety can be motivators for changing behavior. So, you may say to yourself that you will never cheat on a test again, and this may aid in resolving the dissonance. However, aversive conditioning (i.e., guilt/ | + | |
- | - Change perception of action | + | |
- | * A third and more complex method of resolution is to change the way you view/ | + | |
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- | Festinger, Leon; co-authors Henry W. Riecken and Stanley Schachter When Prophecy fails a Social and Psychological Study of a Modern Group That Predicted the Destruction of the World (1956). | + | |
- | Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. | + | |
- | Festinger, L. and Carlsmith, J. M. (1959). " | + | |
- | Festinger, L., Riecken, H. W., & Schachter, S. (1956). When prophecy fails. Minneapolis: | + | |
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- | == Misc. == | + | |
- | See [[wp> | + | |
- | {{Festinger.jpg? | + | |
- | * Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. | + | |
- | * Festinger, L. (1956). When Prophecy Fails: A Social and Psychological Study of A Modern Group that Predicted the Destruction of the World, by Leon Festinger, Henry Riecken, and Stanley Schachter. Harper-Torchbooks, | + | |
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- | . | + | |
- | {{1964_When_Prophecy_Fails_Festinger.jpg? | + | |
- | A headline, " | + | |
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- | - | + | |
- | Festinger and his colleague found that people didn't change their attitudes toward the beliefs even after the prophecy failed. . . . | + | |
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- | Make people quit smoking? (public health campaign) | + | |
- | How would you design the message (information) to // | + | |
- | * By addressing mortality problem, health problem, social stigma associated with smoking in order to change the person' | + | |
- | * Will they stop? | + | |
- | * If yes, people would not have started smoking in the first place . . . . | + | |
- | ====== Cognitive Dissonance ====== | + | |
- | ? __Boring experiment__ | + | |
- | : Students were asked to spend an hour on boring and tedious tasks. The tasks were designed to generate a strong, negative attitude. After the experiment, the experimenters asked some of them to do a simple favor. They were asked to talk to another subject (actually an actor) and persuade them that the tasks were interesting and engaging. Some participants were paid $20 (inflation adjusted to 2009, this equates to $148.40) for this favor, another group was paid $1 (or $7.42 in "2009 dollars" | + | |
- | : Those who got paid one dollar showed more positive attitudes toward the experiment -- //It was interesting. . . .!// | + | |
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- | ? __Theory__ | + | |
- | : This is the feeling people have when they "find themselves doing things that don't fit with what they know, or having opinions that do not fit with other opinions they hold" (Festinger, 1957, p.4). | + | |
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- | < | + | |
- | Individuals use cognitive structures for organizing new information -- **Schemata**. When new information is **inconsistent** with the cognitive structures that have been built previously, **dissonance** occurs. | + | |
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- | A state of dissonance = A state of disequilibrium | + | |
- | A state of consonance = A state of equilibrium | + | |
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- | A new things (that are experienced by, input into an individual) may have three different relationship with the ones already in one's one: | + | |
- | * Consonant relationship : | + | |
- | //Health and fitness are important// vs. A behavior having work-outs five times a week | + | |
- | * Dissonant relationship : | + | |
- | //No abortion in Catholic practice" | + | |
- | * Irrelevant relationship : | + | |
- | //There should be no speed limit on the highway.// vs. //Fat people should not be discriminated.// | + | |
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- | Core of the theory posits that: Discomfort caused by dissonance **motivates** (opinion, behavior) change. | + | |
- | -> This is the point where persuasive communication occur. | + | |
- | -> Persuader focuses on inconsistency while providing new behavior that allow for consistency or balance. | + | |
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- | ? __Belief__ | + | |
- | : It is important to give back to the community. | + | |
- | : I have been blessed with good fortune. | + | |
- | : People who have good fortune should share it with other. | + | |
- | : The only way the community will prosper is if we all do our share. | + | |
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- | ? __Attitude__ | + | |
- | : I like to volunteer my time for the good of others. | + | |
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- | ? __Behavior__ | + | |
- | : I tutor at the Literacy center twice a month. | + | |
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- | ===== Assumptions ===== | + | |
- | * Human beings desire consistency in their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. | + | |
- | CDT suggests that human being has a such nature to make things consistent (in their mind). (Attribute based perspective) | + | |
- | * Dissonance is created by psychological inconsistencies. Inconsistency should occur in one psychological state (rather than logical state) | + | |
- | * Dissonance is an aversive state that drives people to action with measurable effects. People do not enjoy dissonance state; it is an uncomfortable state. | + | |
- | * Dissonance motivates efforts to achieve consonance and efforts toward dissonance reduction. People do something in order to achieve consonant state. | + | |
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- | ===== Concepts ===== | + | |
- | ? __Magnitude of dissonance__ | + | |
- | : There are degrees of discomfort -- not all dissonance is created equally. | + | |
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- | This magnitude are affected by three factors: | + | |
- | - **Perceived importance** : refers to how significant the issue is. | + | |
- | - **Dissonance ratio** : the amount of consonant cognitions relative to the dissonant ones. The proportion of incongruent idea. | + | |
- | - **Ability to justify** (rationalize) : If you have more ability to justify the in-congruency, | + | |
- | - **Perception** : | + | |
- | - Selective exposure | + | |
- | - Selective attention | + | |
- | - Selective interpretation | + | |
- | - Selective hold of information | + | |
- | ===== Persuasion ===== | + | |
- | // | + | |
- | __Buyer' | + | |
- | * After spending more than you feel okay with on a new home, car, vacation, on a woman or some other luxury item, you have to rationalize your spending. | + | |
- | * Sellers and real estate agents make phone calls (and do other things) to convince (or provide) the buyers to think that the decision was excellent. Realtors encourage buyers to make a pro and con list -- then, lead them to put something like gourmet kitchen, Jacuzzi tub, breathtaking views, etc. This lead is an effort to let buyers reduce any dissonance that may occur. | + | |
- | __Giving some dissonance__ | + | |
- | * Advertising companies | + | |
- | * Diet industry make people think un-satisfied appearance or body images. People know that regular exercise would do body good. But, most of us don't exercise. We reduce the dis-comfort by purchasing diet products such as diet-coke. | + | |
- | __B oomerang effect__ | + | |
- | * If you create too much dissonance, the buyers (people) may decide to avoid the information or even dislike you, instead of changing their behavior. | + |
cognitive_dissonance_theory.txt · Last modified: 2016/04/19 09:14 by hkimscil