Psychological consistence & reactance

Question 1

Theory of cognitive dissonance

Answer 1

Theory of cognitive dissonance
Action contradicts with self concept —> cognitive dissonance —> bad feeling
Desire to reduce the bad feeling —>
Change or expand cognition: smoking is not bad / is a relaxing
Change behavior: stop smoking

We know something creates a bad feeling —> desire to change —> we created a good feeling out of it

Only if we believe, that the arousal comes from cognitive dissonance, we try to solve this dissonance. If we have another explanation for it, then we don’t.

Question 2

Strive for consistency:

Answer 2

Strive for consistency: the approximation of attitude and behavior to create a coherent self-image. Especially when:
High involvement; no strong external incentive for action; commitment (investment); writing down; behavior was shown in public.

Question 3

Post-decisional dissonance reduction:

Answer 3

Post-decisional dissonance reduction: after a decision for something, all other alternatives are made bad —> lowballing: Car seller changes price afterwards

Question 4

Justification for effort:

Answer 4

Justification for effort: if you had to make big effort to be part of the group, you evaluate the group way better —> reception rituals at students connections

Question 5

Internal justification after counter-attitudinal advocacy:

Answer 5

Internal justification after counter-attitudinal advocacy: if you do make a statement contrary to your attitude (without external justification), you change your attitude.

Question 6

Ben Franklin effect:

Answer 6

Ben Franklin effect: if somebody makes you a favor, he likes you more —> only if person has no justification to do so (he act completely unconstrained)

Question 7

Theory of reactance:

Answer 7

Theory of reactance: reactance is created, if freedom is in danger or lost

Consequences: emotional (anger about the source of the danger); cognitive (the lost thing is valued way better); behavior (demonstrative performance)

Boomerang effect: prohibition or clumsy attempts to influence create reactance and therefore the opposite of what was intended.

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