Cognitive Dissonance Theory Leon Festinger

1. Cognitive Dissonance Theory Leon Festinger Com 202 � EDP- Autumn 2008 Monday, Nov 3

2. Class Business Review Midterm Exam Collect Midterm Exam Questions?

3. Brief review So far this quarter: Interpersonal communication (dyad) Group communication (3 or more � interdependent) Organizational (canceled, but involves organizations such as workplaces, etc) Now, Persuasive communication theory (interpersonal and public)

4. Persuasive Communication Persuasion: A form of communication meant to sway beliefs, attitudes, feelings, or actions Through appeals to reason and/or emotion - �heart and mind� What are some examples of persuasive speech?

5. Persuasive Theories This Quarter Cognitive Dissonance Theory Interpersonal Social scientific Looks at how cognition works internally with regards to attitude change Rhetoric (Aristotle): Public Speaking Interpretive Catalogues the practical wisdom of orators across thousands of years

6. Cognitive Dissonance Theory Comes from social psychology One of the most famous and influential theories proposes that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance by changing their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, or by justifying or rationalizing their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors

7. Cognitive Dissonance Cognitive Dissonance: the distressing mental state caused by inconsistency between a two beliefs or a belief and an action. Assumption: Humans are consistent. Must find a resolution when beliefs conflict, or actions don�t match beliefs. Example: Slavery and Democracy

8. Reducing Dissonance Whenever there is dissonance, we seek to reduce it. Selective Exposure: The tendency to avoid information that creates cognitive dissonance and seek out information, people who support our beliefs. How to overcome persuasively? Avoid the hard sell Warm personal relationships Example: racial discrimination and my brother Campaigns � we stick to people like us, and avoid people with another opinion. Republicans listen to republicans, democrats to democrats How to overcome? Campaigns � we stick to people like us, and avoid people with another opinion. Republicans listen to republicans, democrats to democrats How to overcome?

9. Postdecision Dissonance 2. Postdecision Dissonance: Strong doubts experienced after making an important, close-call decision that is difficult to reverse. �buyers remorse� Motivates us to seek reassurance, support for our decision. Afterwards, tend to rate our choice higher Example: Sour Grapes

10. 3. Minimal Justification for Action Induces Shift in Attitude The best way to change attitudes is to get someone to behave in a way dissonant with their beliefs with the least amount of incentive. If there isn�t significant external incentive, people tend to change attitudes to justify their behavior If external incentive too high, merely achieve compliance (behavioral conformity without attitude change) Example: Would I lie for a dollar?

11. Would I lie for a dollar? Experiment at Stanford Made people do really boring tasks Then asked participants to recruit the next participant by telling them it was really fun. -called �counterattitudinal advocacy�: publicly urging others to believe or do something that is opposed to what the advocate actually believes.

12. �boring� experiment cont. Half were offered $1, Half were offered $20. Those who were given $20, confessed later that they lied, and really thought the task was boring. $20 was enough external incentive to rationalize dissonance. Those given $1 later claimed they really thought the activity was fun. $1 was not enough to rationalize the dissonance, so they changed their attitudes to be in line with their behavior.

13. Example #2: Forbidden Toy Experiment Kids play in area, forbidden to play with robot. Half warned of severe punishments if touched toy Half warned of only mild consequences Results: when restrictions were lifted, kids offered only mild consequences still refrained from toy. Why? Had to convince self the toy wasn�t all that great to justify compliance.

14. Updates to theory Self-consistency/self-concept: Dissonance occurs more strongly when we violate our own self concept rather then merely beliefs Ex. �Stanford men� aren�t men who lie Amount of dissonance directly proportional to the effort he or she has invested in the behavior. Ex. Scientology

15. Updates to theory cont. Personal responsibility for bad outcomes Cooper -> not only inconsistency, but concern about personal responsibility for aversive effects Self-Affirmation to Dissipate Dissonance If dissonance caused by violating self-concept, then high self-esteem restores self-concept as alternatives to attitude change Denial, forgetfulness, and minimalization work when self-esteem is high

16. Critiques of Cognitive Dissonance Positive: wide influence, name recognition in popular culture Critique: Not Falsifiable: no way to prove theory wrong. �Black box� -> Can�t test subconscious cognitive processes directly, just assume they are there by outcome

17. For Wednesday Review these principles. We will: Watch examples of cognitive dissonance Do group work Prepare for Writing Assignment #3