Justification

Question 1

What is cognitive dissonance?

Answer 1

The discomfort that is caused when two cognitions conflict or when behavior conflicts with our attitudes

Question 2

What are the three main ways we reduce dissonance

Answer 2

1) Changing behaviour
2) Changing attitudes
3) Adding new cognitions that can justify those beliefs (excuses)

Question 3

What is a way of reducing discomfort that is not part of the three main ways

Answer 3

Self affirmation

Question 4

What is self affirmation

Answer 4

Boosting self esteem through compliments of unrelated qualities: I may smoke but I am very kind to people

Question 5

Why is self affiramtion different from the three main ways of reducing discomfort

Answer 5

Because the three ways deal with the threat at hand while self affirmation is for unrelated reasons that target the ego.

Question 6

Why do we overestimate the pain of disappointment

Answer 6

Because dissonance reduction is usually unconcious

Question 7

What is impact bias

Answer 7

WHen people overestimate the intensity and duration of their negative emotional reactions

Question 8

How will people predict for example their feelings over the breakup with their boyfriend

Answer 8

Overestimate the length and intensity of their negative emotions due to impact bias but then their unconsious work of reducing dissonance will actually make them feel better faster

Question 9

When is dissonance the most painful

Answer 9

When it is about the self: the self concept and self esteem is threatened or something that violates our view of the self

Question 10

Do people with higher or lower self esteem feel greaterr dissonance

Answer 10

Higher self esteem people especially if it is about that thing that they think highly of

Question 11

Do pyschopaths feel dissonance

Answer 11

Nah not that much when they something immoral

Question 12

Experiment that shows the connection between self esteem level and dissonant actions

Answer 12

Students who were given a personality test ad given feedback:

a) Self esteem boost b) Self esteem knock down
c) no feedback

Then they had to play a cards game where they had the opporutnity to cheat: boosting self esteeming less likely to cheat, and lowering self esteem increased likelihood to cheat

Question 13

“Please don’t be a cheater” vs “Please don’t cheat”

Answer 13

People who were told please dont be a cheater had their self concept of not being a cheater invoked so they were less likely to cheat than people who were invoked with the action of cheating

Question 14

Can self affirmation backfire?

Answer 14

Yes because if the statements are not true and the peopel were forced tomake those statements about themselves (because they have low self esteem to begin with), they perform poorly. Also when people with low self esteem is given exaggerated praises, then they are also discouraged to do more

Question 15

How can self affirmation be useful in elevating self esteem?

Answer 15

Must be grounded in reality and the person has to focus on their actual strength and strive to make them consonant with their action

Question 16

What is post decision dissonance

Answer 16

Dissonance aroused after making a decision, typically reduced by enhancing the attractiveness of the chosen alternative and devaluating the rejected alternative

Question 17

Experiment that shows postdecision dissonance and people reducing that dissonance

Answer 17

Asked people to rate the attractiveness of different appliances in the store, then they were asked to choose between two appliances that she rated equally, then she was asked to rerate all the appliances again and the one she chose she rated higher than before and the one she didnt choose as lower

Question 18

What affects the degree of post decision dissonance

Answer 18

Permanence of the decision

Question 19

What is an experiment with the post decision dissonance and permanence

Answer 19

Asking people who were going to bet on horses and people who have just placed their bets already.  Clearly people who have already places their bets sais that their horse has much better chances of winning
ANother more famous one is the photgraphy class one where people can either choose one photo or choose one photo that can be changed later

Question 20

What is lowballing

Answer 20

A sales strateegy where people make customers agree to a sale and then change the conditions and so the customer will agree to buying the inflated price because it feels final already

Question 21

Why does lowballing work

Answer 21

1) There is sense of commitment to the purchase already
2) Feeling of commitment triggered the anticipation of an event
3) Final price is higher but people convince themselves that it is probably slightly higher than other dealer so why not

Summary: illusion of irrevocability

Question 22

What happens when you make a big decision about an immoral thing? (hint: cheating pyramid)

Answer 22

So basically if you do the bad thing, you can change your beliefs to reduce dissonance, but if you decide not to do the sthing, you can still change belief but actually feel even more strongly against it

Question 23

Are there any neurological changes in the brain when there is dissonance?

Answer 23

Yes using fMRI can see in the striatum and other areas in the prefrontal cortex

Question 24

Are there differences in dissonance across cultures

Answer 24

Everyone experiences dissoance but the contents are different for example in collectivist culture they can experience dissonance when their behaviour shames or dissapoints others (not just themselves) and that there is international and intergenerational causes of dissonance

Question 25

What is the justification of effort

Answer 25

Tendency for people to increase their liking for something theu have worked hard for< if i put in this much effort then I must like it

Question 26

How can justification of effort be seen in real life

Answer 26

Like the frat party initation and rushimg, people must agree to do the tough thing

Question 27

What is an experiment that shows the justification of effort

Answer 27

Students were asked to participate in an epxeriment but there was different screening procedures: harsh screening, mild and no screening. They were asked to listen to a really boring discussion and then asked to rate how interesting it was.
Harsh screening poeple found it way more interesting than people who had no screening

Question 28

What is external justification

Answer 28

A reason or an explanation for dissonant personal behaviour that resides outside the individual (to receieve a large reward or avoid punishment)

Question 29

Internal justification

Answer 29

The reduction of dissoannce by changing something about oneself: basically the reduction that we have been talking about

Question 30

When do you find internal justification

Answer 30

Whne there is no external justification

Question 31

What is counterattitudinal advocacy

Answer 31

Stating an opin ion that you is against your beleifs and usually this can lead to internal justification

Question 32

What is the classic experiment that shows internal vs external justification and counterattitudinal advocacy

Answer 32

The one where they have to do something so boring and then given either $20 or $2 to tell a next group how interesting that tsk was
Then when they were asked how they felt about the task, the people who got $20 didnt think it was good because they had external jusfitication to say that it was good whereas people who only got $1 said it was interesting because they had internal justifcation

Question 33

How can you explain mild punishment and self persuasion

Answer 33

If the punishment is too hard then there is sufficient external justification, so people are like I dont do it because of the punishment, but if there is a mild punishment and people still follow the instructions, then there is not enough external justification and they turn to internal justifiction (changing beliefs) Deducing that you must have done something for internal reasons

Question 34

What is self persuasion

Answer 34

A long lasting form of attitude change that results from attempts of self justification

Question 35

What is hypocricy induction

Answer 35

Arousal of dissonance or making people realize that they are a hypocrite by making themmake statemtnts that run counter to their behaviours and then remind them of the inconsistency between what they advocated and their behaviour. The prupose is to lead indiviudals to more responsible

Question 36

What is an experiment that showed hypocrisy induction

Answer 36

College students were asked to make arguments for safe sex and then, another group to make arguments but also record the message and finally a group where they made the arguments, record the message but also a group that was made aware that they havent been doing safe sex. and the last group had the most dissonance and reported the greatest change in behaviour

Question 37

The Ben Franklin effect

Answer 37

Likling the person more after being induced to doing a favor for them. If i am going out of my way to do a favor for them then I must like them

Question 38

How do people justify cruelty

Answer 38

dehumanize enemies