Cognitive Dissonance

POSTDECISIONAL DISSONANCE

dissonance aroused after making a decision reduced by enhancing the attractiveness of the chosen alternative and devaluing the rejected alternatives

Ways to reduce cognitive dissonance

-Change attitude or behavior -Belittle importance of the inconsistent behavior -Find consonant elements that outweigh dissonant ones -MINIMIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CONFLICT -REDUCE PERCIEVED CHOICE -CHANGE BEHAVIOR

Four necessary components of cognitive dissonance

BEHAVIOR PRODUCES NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES examples: embarrassment; risk behaviors FEELING OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY negative consequences were freely chosen PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL ATTRIBUTION OF AROUSAL TO OWN BEHAVIOR

Impact Bias

The tendency to overestimate the intensity and duration of our emotional reactions to future negative events. When we think about the future, we overestimate how bad negative events will make us feel.

people are motivated to

reduce dissonance

COUNTERATTITUDINAL ADVOCACY

stating an opinion or attitude that runs counter to one's private attitude, belief, or behavior

justifying effort

when people put themselves through pain, embarrassment, or discomfort to join a group, they experience a great deal of dissonance

3 Types of Self-Justification

JUSTIFYING ATTITUDE-DISCREPANT BEHAVIOR JUSTIFYING EFFORT JUSTIFYING DIFFICULT DECISIONS

Self-Affirmation

Bolsters the self-concept Reducing dissonance by adding a cognition about other positive attribute

Cognitive Dissonance & Behavior Change: Effectiveness

For this strategy to work, several conditions must exist: People in question must publically advocate the desired behaviors Must be induced to think about their own failures to show these behaviors in the past Must be given access to direct means for reducing their dissonance

reducing dissonance

Inner intense drive to hold our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors in harmony

If the person cannot change the behavior,

the attitude will often be changed to come in line with the behavior in order to reduce the dissonance

COGNITIVE DISSONANCE THEORY

the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts are inconsistent, cognitive dissonance