Reading Guide 2 Ch 13

1. What is the difference between explicit and implicit attitudes?

Explicit attitudes are conscious, verbally stated evaluations and implicit attitudes are manifested in automatic mental associations

1.a. How are the two types of attitudes measured?

Explicit is measured by traditional attitude tests and implicit is measured by association tests.

1.c. What areas of the brain are involved with explicit vs. implicit attitudes?

Explicit occur in the prefrontal cortex, implicit occur in the limbic system, subcortical structures.

4. In theory, why should the insufficient-justification effect work best when there is minimal incentive for the action and the action is freely chosen?

I think because people are more likely to believe someone rather than if there is sufficient reward.

2.b. How does the cognitive dissonance theory explain why some people are more confident of a decision just after they have made it than just before?

Many studies show that people tend to set their doubts aside after making an irrevocable decision.

3. What is the insufficient-justification effect? Thinking about the personal example of cognitive dissonance theory you used for #2, consider how insufficient-justification happened in this situation, or could have happened. Discuss.

Occurs only if the person has no easy way to justify the behavior, given their previous attitude. It is relieving dissonance by modifying or reversing their attitude.

4.a. How were these two conditions (minimal incentive and free choice) verified by two classic experiments?

Minimal incentive, college students, boring task, some get $1, some get $20 to tell people it was enjoyable. People who got $1 was better. Free choice, students write essays expressing support for a bill in the state legislature that most students opposed, students told they didn't have to write them but were strongly encouraged to and told they had no choice, two groups. Afterwards they were asked about their personal attitudes toward the bill. Only free choice people showed a significant shift in the direction of favoring the bill. Students with no choice remained opposed to it.

2.a. How does the cognitive dissonance theory explain people's attraction to some information and avoidance of other information?

Avoid situations in which we might discover facts or ideas that run counter to our current views to avoid dissonance. People tend to go to lectures and documentaries that they believe will support their existing views.

1.b. What is the difference between explicit and implicit attitudes in terms of how they influence behavior?

Implicit attitudes automatically influence behavior; explicit attitudes require thought so the more we think about it the more influence it has.

2. What is Leon Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory? What is an example of this theory from your own experiences?

The theory says we have mechanisms built into the workings of our mind that creates an uncomfortable feeling of dissonance, or lack of harmony, when we sense some inconsistency among the various explicit attitudes, beliefs, and items of knowledge that constitute our mental store. Example: discomfort of food motivates us to seek food.