...Issue Analysis: Cognitive Dissonance PSYCH/555 April 22, 2013 Dr. Keisha Anthony Issue Analysis: Cognitive Dissonance “Festinger's (1957) cognitive dissonance theory suggests that we have an inner drive to hold all our attitudes and beliefs in harmony and avoid disharmony (or dissonance)” (McLeod, 2008). Issue 5: Does Cognitive Dissonance Explain Why Behavior Can Change Attitudes debates the cognitive dissonance theory with one of the authors challenging the theory by claiming that self-perception is a better explanation as to why people behave differently once they have acted outside of their norm as most people try to find some sort of consistency between their actions and their attitudes. Consonant and dissonant cognitions both affect the attitude on opposite ends of a spectrum. As with consonant cognitions the behavior matches the attitude and with dissonant cognitions have behaviors that conflict with their attitudes. One of the most powerful influences on attitude change is the motivation of people to maintain that consistency between their attitudes and behaviors. Although the cognitive dissonance theory is studied and utilized by psychologists all over the world, there are some who reject this theory and believe that self-perception is what enables people to decide on their attitudes, emotions, and behaviors because they are able to cast judgment upon themselves based on their behavior in different situations. Summary of both Arguments in Issue 5 Festinger...
Words: 1476 - Pages: 6
...An Examination of Festingers Cognitive Dissonance Theory and Notable Modifications Sometimes the greatest test of a theory is its longevity. Over time, some theories will be disproved, some will be modified, and some will become the basis for a whole new group of theories. Leon Festinger’s theory of cognitive dissonance has stood up to challenge for over forty years, and is considered by many to be the single most important theory of social psychology. Though there have been modifications to the theory after many recreations and simulations of the original 1957 experiment, few have been able to really disqualify Festinger’s findings. It would be safe to say that many people don’t even have a full grasp of the incredible implications that Festinger’s research and experiments have towards the self-concept and behavior, myself not excluded. The actual definition of cognitive dissonance is almost too simple: an unpleasant feeling that arises from the contradiction of belief and action. Festinger, however, went on to find that dissonance would in fact change attitudes over time, helping people to justify their behavior when they know it is clearly wrong. Festinger’s original experiment was a simple procedure. Have someone perform a tedious task for a while, then inform the subject that the experiment is finished, but that they could be of assistance with the rest of the experiment as a research assistant. Festinger explained that his regular assistant was...
Words: 2602 - Pages: 11
...Cognitive Dissonance Theory Introduction: “Knowing that drinking alcohol is harmful, I like to drink more.” Cognitive dissonance refers to a situation conflicting attitudes, beliefs or behaviors. The above example depicts a conflicting cognition where I know that drinking is harmful to my health but I like to drink more. This is cognitive dissonance. A story about a fox that tried in vain to reach a cluster of grapes that dangled from a vine above his head. The fox leapt high to grasp the grapes, but the delicious-looking fruit remained just out of reach of his snapping jaws. After a few attempts the fox gave up and said to himself, ‘‘These grapes are sour, and if I had some I would not eat them." The fox changed his attitude to fit his behavior. Leon Festinger (1957) described cognitive dissonance as a psychologically uncomfortable state that motivates a person to reduce that dissonance. According to the theory, there is a tendency for individual to seek consistency among their cognitive (i.e. beliefs and opinions). When there is some kind of discrepancies occurring between attitudes or behaviors, something must be changed to rule out the dissonance. Thesis Statement: Cognitive Dissonance is a state of mind involving ones attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors. People feel discomfort leading to an alteration in one of the attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors to reduce discomfort and restore balance. Body Paragraph: According to Festinger, people consider many cognitions...
Words: 1161 - Pages: 5
...In 1957, scientist Leon Festinger proposed “Cognitive Dissonance Theory”, which states that a powerful motive to maintain cognitive consistency can give rise to irrational and sometimes maladaptive behavior. Cognitive Dissonance affects the person's ability to make decisions and allows for them to escape the guilt. Lord of the Flies is an example of “Cognitive Dissonance” in humans, in that both the novel and the psychological theory illustrate the premise that humans tend to justify their actions by lying to themselves. William Golding’s book Lord of the Flies is about a group of boys whose plane crashes, leaving them stranded on an island. Throughout the book the boys lose their sanity and begin to fight. As the boys struggle to find a balance in power between Ralph, a young boy who was originally elected as leader, and Jack, a wild, ill tempered, boy who challenges Ralph; the two shy intelligent boys, Piggy and Simon, are ostracised and viewed as unreliable and suspicious.Subsequently Simon is brutally murdered after trying to alert the group that the monster they have feared is really just a dead military parachutist (Golding, 138-139). Later Piggy also dies as an effect of Roger, Jack’s second in command, crushing him with a boulder (Golding, 164-165). “Cognitive Dissonance Theory” is the theory that humans justify our actions by...
Words: 480 - Pages: 2
...Introduction This report concisely introduces cognitive psychology and the way in which consumers use cognition during pre-purchase situations, when comparing alternative brands or products, to ultimately satisfy a need. Following this, the report explores the theory of cognitive dissonance and its impact on post-purchase evaluation. An introduction to cognitive psychology A.Balota and J.Marsh (2004:1) outline that the word cognitive derives from the Latin word cognare, meaning, “to know.” Although experimental psychologists have studied related issues to cognitive psychology for well over a century, A.Balota and J.Marsh (2004:1), the beginnings of modern cognitive psychology begun nearly 50 years ago, when people begun to take a huge interest in the cognitive approach to human behaviour of knowing and thought, H.Ashcraft (2002:2). H.Ashcraft (2002:2) considers the memory and cognition to be the mental events and knowledge we use when we recognise an object, remember a name, have an idea or solve a problem. Understandably, A.Balota and J.Marsh (2004:1) outline that cognitive psychologists are particularly interested in the processes by which people do this, and the way that patterns and objects are recognised, attended, remembered, imagined and verbally elaborated. Cognition and consumer decision making Baker (1999:109) suggests that consumer decision making is commonly described as a cognitive process. A consumer purchase is commonly a response to a problem, which...
Words: 1019 - Pages: 5
...Attitude Theories Patricia Saylor Strayer University Online Prof. Robin Oatis-Ballew May 6, 2012 Cognitive dissonance was fist examined by Leon Festinger, this arose from the observations he made of a cult whom believed that the earth would soon be destroyed by a flood. Members that had been faithful to the cult had to give up their homes and jobs to come and work for the cult. This came about after the fact the earth was not destroyed by the flood. The faithful members of the cult were ashamed and felt like they had made fools of themselves for believing that something like this was about to happen. According to cognitive dissonance theory, there is a tendency for individuals to seek consistency among their cognitions (beliefs, opinions). When there is an inconsistency between attitudes or behaviors (dissonance), something must change to eliminate the dissonance. In the case of a discrepancy between attitudes and behavior, it is most likely that the attitude will change to accommodate the behavior. This is the feeling of uncomfortable tension which comes from holding two conflicting thoughts in the mind at the same time. Dissonance increases with the importance of the subject to us, how strongly the dissonant thoughts conflict, our inability to rationalize and explain away the conflict. Two factors affect the strength of the dissonance: the number of dissonant beliefs, and the importance attached to each belief. There are three ways to...
Words: 554 - Pages: 3
...Attitude Theories Patricia Saylor Strayer University Online Prof. Robin Oatis-Ballew May 6, 2012 Cognitive dissonance was fist examined by Leon Festinger, this arose from the observations he made of a cult whom believed that the earth would soon be destroyed by a flood. Members that had been faithful to the cult had to give up their homes and jobs to come and work for the cult. This came about after the fact the earth was not destroyed by the flood. The faithful members of the cult were ashamed and felt like they had made fools of themselves for believing that something like this was about to happen. According to cognitive dissonance theory, there is a tendency for individuals to seek consistency among their cognitions (beliefs, opinions). When there is an inconsistency between attitudes or behaviors (dissonance), something must change to eliminate the dissonance. In the case of a discrepancy between attitudes and behavior, it is most likely that the attitude will change to accommodate the behavior. This is the feeling of uncomfortable tension which comes from holding two conflicting thoughts in the mind at the same time. Dissonance increases with the importance of the subject to us, how strongly the dissonant thoughts conflict, our inability to rationalize and explain away the conflict. Two factors affect the strength of the dissonance: the number of dissonant beliefs, and the importance attached to each belief. There are three ways to eliminate dissonance: reduce...
Words: 554 - Pages: 3
...Used By The Marketers To Overcome The Cognitive Dissonance Of Customers Subject : OB Submission Date : 25th October Class : B-1(Shift-I) Submitted To : No. Submitted By : Group members Shaikh Mo.Farhan Solanki Snehal Vasani Tushar Parmar Paras Dhanani Nilesh Rana Vinus Safiwala Sanjay Timbadiya Viren Roll No. 82 87 95 61 102 110 114 98 Roshni Singh 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Cognitive Dissonance No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Introduction Theory & Research Applications of Research Overcoming Dissonance Cognitive Dissonance in Advertisement Five Advertisements which shows overcomes of CD by Marketers How to sale more with Cognitive Dissonance Particulars Page No. Introduction In psychology, cognitive dissonance is the discomfort experienced when simultaneously holding two or more conflicting cognitions: ideas, beliefs, values or emotional reactions. In a state of dissonance, people may sometimes feel "disequilibrium": frustration, hunger, dread, guilt, anger, embarrassment, anxiety, etc. The phrase was coined by Leon Festinger in his 1956 book When Prophecy Fails, which chronicled the followers of a UFO cult as reality clashed with their fervent belief in an impending apocalypse. Festinger subsequently (1957) published a book called A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance in which he outlines the theory. Cognitive dissonance is one of the most influential and extensively studied theories in social psychology. The theory of cognitive dissonance in social psychology proposes that...
Words: 5933 - Pages: 24
...factors are the equity theory, attachment styles, when to reveal and when to conceal, and the cognitive dissonance theory. These factors play a very big role in relationship baggage and they are all discussed extensively through many scholarly articles. The following articles illustrate the research done on the topic of partner baggage as it pertains to these particular factors in romantic relationships. Keywords: partner baggage, relational uncertainty, relational turbulence, dark side, interpersonal relationships According to an article by Sidelinger and Booth-Butterfield, partner baggage is defined as, “negative attributes and situations which create obstacles to optimal relationship outcomes” (Sidelinger & Booth-Butterfield, 2009, p. 405). That is just a really fun way of saying that one or both participants of a relationship have some issues that could be potentially detrimental to the relationship. Partner baggage is very common in most relationships, 69% of couples reported this about partner baggage (Sidelinger & Booth-Butterfield, 2009, p. 414). There is a lot of ambiguity in relationships to begin with (Spitzberg & Cupach, 2011, p. 31), but partner baggage adds another element of relational uncertainty. To understand partner baggage in relationships better, we will discuss this through the equity theory, attachment styles, when to reveal and when to conceal, and cognitive dissonance. Literature Review Equity Theory The equity theory can help couples determine...
Words: 4041 - Pages: 17
...Cognitive Dissonance: Abortion Individuals are social by nature and can be influenced by various factors when making choices. An individual is capable of feeling the pressure from family, peers, and community. An individual may also believe that doing something like cheating is acceptable if in the end one obtains the desire result. An individual may experience an internal exchange of ideas and problems when making a decision how to find the way through a complicated decision. Individuals may also negotiate and barter with their divine beliefs to feel at ease when making a decision to behave in an unpleasant and moral way. Cognitive dissonance theory is extremely active in this stage of disagreement, when an individual is in a state of moral conflict the theory is applied to regulate, find a balance, and to have peace of mind (Benoit, 2012). Individuals come upon countless situations throughout life when a complicated decision must be made; often times a person will even go against spiritual and moral beliefs when sensing external pressure. Moral and cognitive maturity along with a strong sense of self will assist on a logical decision. Identify the Situation Individual Consciously Made in a Behavior that Violated Cognitions Since the beginning of time, man expands all his mental facilities and physical limitations to discover the meaning of life and search to discover, when life begins. Physicians, scholars, theologians, and lay people have spent...
Words: 1626 - Pages: 7
...dissatisfied with, instead of returning them to the company” Table of Contents Chapter 1 - Introduction and Thesis Statement.........................................4 Chapter 2 – Consumer purchase decision process………........................5 Chapter 3 – Theory of consistence…………………………………………….6 3.1 Experiment…………………….............................................6 3.2 Theory of consistence and consumer behaviour...…....…..6 Chapter 4 – Cognitive dissonance……………………………………….…….7 4.1 Cognitive dissonance and consumer behaviour…..............7 Chapter 5 – Further reasons for irrational consumer behaviour………....8 3.1 Sunk cost effect………………......……………………..........8 3.2 Endowment effect…….………………......……………..........9 Chapter 6- Reasons for rational consumer behaviour……….....................9 Chapter 7- Conclusion..................................................................................10 Bibliography...................................................................................................12 Affidavit..........................................................................................................13 2 Chapter 1 Introduction Economic behaviour has long been defined as a rational and cognitive process. This idea assumes that decisions made by humans are based up on functional arguments and information. But many researchers discovered that human behaviour and the process of decision-making is not merely linked to rational aspects. Everyone knows...
Words: 2322 - Pages: 10
...Minnesota State University Moorhead Fall semester Term paper Attitude is everything. A good example of attitude is an iceberg in the artic. In real life you see 10% of the iceberg which is visible above sea level and the remainder of the iceberg 90% is below sea level. From the example 10% is how we behave as a result of attitude we have below the sea level. The 90% which comprises of attitude mostly also include beliefs, values, motives and culture. Attitude is more important than facts. Attitude how does it affect people? It affects people by changing their mood. According to Charles Swindell, people are now convinced that life is ten percent of what happens to people and ninety percent of how people react to it. What people mean by this, is that most of what happens to people is because of the way they react. The other part of life is what happens because of the reaction. Another simple way of putting it, is that attitudes controls what happens. A popularize definition of attitude is: “an enduring organization of motivational, emotional, perceptual, and cognitive processes with respect to some aspect of the individual’s world (Wrenn et al., 2014). Attitude has become one of the most valuable topic or subject marketers and academicians focus their attention because of the power influence it has in the field of marketing. Attitude is the central part of human individuality. Many examples can be found for people ready to die for their attitude. On the dark side, even today people...
Words: 1882 - Pages: 8
...Cognitive Dissonance Theory I know it is bad for me. I have read about, heard of and listened to the side effects of this taboo beverage. Yet, I am always unable to resist the promise of instant gratification that can be mine simply by breaking the seal of its carbonated packaging. My eyes linger on the variety of healthier options that lay behind the sliding glass doors; however, my fingers are already tightly grasped around the silver label of a twenty ounce Diet Coke. Each refreshing sip fills my head with depressing logic that can only be drowned with more fizzy brown bubbles. The chemicals in Diet Coke have been shown to cause cancer in lab rats. The sugar substitutes found in Diet Coke increase sugar cravings negating the “diet” value. Habitual Diet Coke drinkers are significantly heavier than those who indulge in the occasional full calorie version. Diet Coke is detrimental to bone health… The warnings echo loudly in my head almost as loud as my endless self chastising. Why do I force myself to eat fresh fruits and vegetables when what I really want is Chipotle? Why do I walk to class when I’m offered a free ride? Why do I punish myself with healthy activities when I am killing my body with Diet Coke anyway? I curse the investigative reporter who first divulged Diet Coke’s dirty little secret as I hand over $1.35 for my second drink of the day. I would even feel guilty if the woman in front of me had not just bought cigarettes. Cognitive dissonance is a feeling of...
Words: 782 - Pages: 4
...In the 5th Chapter of Opening Skinner’s Box, Lauren Slater explores Festinger’s cognitive dissonance theory. She defines the theory as an explanation of the compulsion to “… bring your beliefs back into alignment with your actions, so as to reduce the dissonance between your self-concept and your questionable behavior” (Slater). She focuses on a classical version of the theory, and consequently becomes fixated on a woman named Linda Santo and her daughter, who she feels perfectly embody Festinger’s theory. In her quest to understand how cognitive dissonance is applied in their lives, she treats Santo with disrespect for her faith and actively tries to show her the flaws in a harmless belief that she has built her life around. Her blatant disregard...
Words: 960 - Pages: 4
...goals for that day, direct their behavior accordingly to accomplish this goal. Motivation may also lead to increased effort and energy. For example, motivation for me at my job increases the amount of effort and energy that I will expend in work activities directly related to my customers needs and goals at my restaurant. This will determine whether I pursue a task enthusiastically, apathetic or lackadaisical. Manager’s direct motivation also determines which consequences are working and also used for punishing. The more your staff is motivated to achieve success, the more that will be proud of their goal and upset by low sales, especially in my job. The more learners want to be accepted and respected by peers, the more they will value work with the popular group and be distressed by the ridicule of coworkers. Conversely, workers who have little interest in work achievement are at high risk for dropping out of the work race even before they really begin. 2. What is cognitive dissonance? Give some examples of situations that might create dissonance in an individual. What does cognitive dissonance have to do with blocked need satisfaction? Cognitive dissonance is the feeling of uncomfortable tension which comes from holding two conflicting thoughts in the mind at the same time. An example in which a situation might create dissonance in an...
Words: 2072 - Pages: 9
