Dissonance Theory
17 June 2004
Dissonance Theory
• Cognitive Dissonance:
– Why does initiation make us like our sorority/fraternity
better?
– DT can explain this:
• We see ourselves acting irrationally
• We want to view ourselves as rational, consistent beings
• We feel uncomfortable, because going through hell week ( or
whatever) doesn’t seem to rational/consistent
• We change our attitude about the frat/sorority (or whatever)
we’re acting irrationally about
Motivated Reasoning Bias
• When we engage in behaviors that don’t
make sense, we tend to challenge any
information that contributes to our
behaviors not making sense
– Smokers
– Heine (1999) cell phone expt
Cognitive Dissonance
• Arises when our behavior is at odds with
our attitudes or self-concept
• Dissonance is psychologically unpleasant so
we do whatever we can to reduce it
• We can reduce it one of two ways:
– Change our cognitions/attitudes
– Use strategies to make it seem like we haven’t
acted irrationally (like motivated reasoning)
When Prophecy Fails
• Festinger, Schachter, and Back (1956)
• Doomsday cult study
• No flying saucer = 2 choices:
– Quit cult
– Stay with cult
• Message from God
– Our devotion saved the world
– Publicity seeking, more devotion
Festinger & Carlsmith (1959)
• Male subjects participate in an extremely
dull study
• Then, asked to tell next subject that study
was fun/interesting
– IV: paid $1 vs $20 to lie
– DV: how enjoyable was the study? Would you
participate in a similar study again?
• Results: not learning, but dissonance
Festinger & Carlsmith Results
enjoyable
would participate similar
1.5
1
0.5
0
-0.5
-1
control
DV: Ratings from –5 to +5
$1
$20
Cognitions?
1. That experiment was 1. That experiment was
very boring
very boring
2. I told the next subject 2. I told the next subject
that it was great fun
it was great fun
3. I was paid $1 to tell
3. I was paid $20 to tell
her that
her that
DISSONANCE!
No dissonance
Distortion of #1
No distortion
Initiation and Attitude Change
• Aronson & Mills
(1959)
• IV: severe vs. mild vs.
no initiation
• DV: rating of how
worthwhile the
discussion was
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Control
Mild
Initiation
Severe
Initiation
Cognitions?
1. That discussion was
very boring
2. I went through a very
embarrassing
initiation to get into
it
DISSONANCE!
Distortion of #1
1. That discussion was
very boring
2. I went through a
mildly embarrassing
initiation to get into
it
No dissonance
No distortion
Internalizing Conscience
Through Dissonance
• Aronson & Carlsmith,
1963
• How do kids become
moral actors?
– Learning theory
account
– Dissonance theory
account?
• IV: severe vs. mild
threat
• DV: number of Ss who
change or don’t
change their pre- and
post- manipulation
ratings of their second
favorite (determined at
pre-manipulation) toy
Aronson & Carlsmith Results
Increasing
15
Staying the Same
Decreasing
10
5
0
Mild
Severe
Same day
Mild
Severe
6 wks later
DV: # of Ss increasing, decreasing, or leaving unchanged their preference for their second-favorite toy.
Cognitions?
1. I liked that toy a lot.
2. I didn’t play with it.
3. I was mildly
threatened.
DISSONANCE!
Distortion of #1
1. I liked that toy a lot.
2. I didn’t play with it.
3. I was severely
threatened.
No dissonance.
No distortion.
Vietnam Field Study (1969)
4
• Avoid the draft by
joining ROTC
– THEN: find out
likelihood of having
been drafted
• DV: how happy are
you with ROTC? (1-5)
• Huh?
– DT explanation
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
first
1/3
second
1/3
third
1/3
Self-Perception Theory
• Bem: we infer our attitudes from our
behaviors
• When we see ourselves doing something,
we infer that our attitude matches our
behavior
• Bem’s take on the Vietnam Study
In support of Bem
• Leppner, Green, & Nisbett
expt:
– Intrinsic motivation
– Overjustification effect
• Kids playing with a
popular puzzle:
– IV: kids told a priori would
be rewarded for play vs.
told a posteriori
– DV: who plays with the
popular puzzle 3 weeks
later?
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
a priori
a posteriori
DT fights back:
On the Nature of Dissonance
• Steele: we engage in
dissonance reduction
because of physiological
arousal
• Tuition hike expt
• 2 IV’s
– essay written under forced
compliance vs. free choice
vs. no essay control
– alcohol vs. no alcohol
4
alc
no alc
3
2
1
• DV: attitude re. tuition
hike (1-5 scale)
0
no choice
free choice
More on the
Nature of Dissonance
• Four steps to dissonance and its reduction:
– Attitude-discrepant behavior must produce unwanted
consequences
– Subjects must feel personal responsibility for the
unwanted consequences
• Free choice
• Belief that unwanted consequences were foreseeable
– Physiological arousal
– Attribution of physiological arousal to the attitudediscrepant behavior
Who Wins?
• DT wins when attitudes and behaviors are
highly discrepant
• Self-Perception theory wins when attitudes
and behaviors aren’t very discrepant
• When is a behavior discrepant?
Self-Affirmation
Account of Dissonance
• Steele: we engage in dissonance reduction
to boost our self-esteem after behaving
inconsistently
– Acting inconsistently is at odds with our
positive view of self
• If we can boost our self-esteem in another
way, we won’t engage in dissonance
reduction
Heine expt
•
Cover story: personality and music preference
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Fill our personality survey
Rate 10 CD’s
Choose between CDs rated 5 and 6
IV: positive, negative, or no feedback on personality
survey
(5) Re-rate the 10 CDs
•
DV: changes in preference for CDs previously
rated 5 and 6
Heine Results
20
U.S.
Japan
15
10
5
0
-5
Positive
Feedback
Control
Negative
Feedback