seminar 2 Flashcards
What is cognitive dissonance?
The psychological discomfort experienced when a person holds two or more contradictory beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors simultaneously.
The greater the inconsistency, the stronger the discomfort.
What are the key factors affecting cognitive dissonance?
- The number of cognitions
- The importance of the cognitions
More conflicting thoughts lead to higher dissonance; significant dissonant beliefs increase discomfort.
What is one mechanism for reducing cognitive dissonance?
Change the dissonant cognition or behavior.
Example: A smoker who believes smoking is unhealthy may quit smoking.
How can individuals add consonant cognitions to reduce dissonance?
By introducing new thoughts that align with the current belief.
Example: “Yes, smoking is bad, but it helps me relieve stress.”
What does it mean to increase the importance of consonant cognitions?
Emphasizing thoughts that reduce the impact of the inconsistency.
Example: “I exercise and eat healthily, so smoking occasionally isn’t a big deal.”
What is a strategy to reduce the importance of dissonant cognitions?
Downplaying the significance of contradictory thoughts.
Example: “A lot of people smoke and live long lives.”
What does denying responsibility involve in the context of cognitive dissonance?
Justifying actions by shifting blame.
Example: “Cigarette companies should make them less addictive, not my fault!”
What is selective exposure to information?
Seeking information that supports one’s beliefs.
Example: Only reading articles that confirm your political views.
Define selective attention in cognitive dissonance.
Focusing only on information that aligns with current beliefs.
Example: Ignoring health warnings about smoking while paying attention to positive aspects like relaxation.
What is selective interpretation?
Distorting or misinterpreting information to fit one’s existing beliefs.
Example: Believing studies that downplay climate change while rejecting others.
What is the Free-Choice Paradigm?
A paradigm exploring what happens after we make a decision, leading to dissonance about the choice made.
Example: A person buys an espresso machine instead of a toaster and rationalizes their choice.
What does the Effort-Justification Paradigm examine?
What happens when we invest effort but don’t receive the expected reward, leading to dissonance.
Example: Joining a club through a difficult initiation but finding it boring.
Describe the Belief-Disconfirmation Paradigm.
What happens when our beliefs are challenged, causing dissonance that leads to rejecting new information.
Example: A doomsday cult believing their prayers prevented the apocalypse.
What occurs in the Induced-Compliance Paradigm?
When people act against their beliefs and experience dissonance, especially with little external justification.
Example: Participants lying about a boring task for $1 felt dissonance and changed their attitude.
What does cognitive dissonance theory explain?
How humans strive for internal consistency and the discomfort arising from inconsistencies.
It describes ways people reduce dissonance and its manifestations in different life situations.
