Week 5- Key Motives & Psychological Defense

Question 1

Who is Leon Festinger?

Answer 1

“Founder of social psych”

Archeology

History

Empathized EXPERIMENTAL & REAL-WORLD observation

Interested in DEEPLY-HELD beliefs

Question 2

What is the cult Leon Festinger joined?

What was the cult about?

Answer 2

The Doomsday cult called “The Seekers”

Highly indoctrinated group

December 21st 1954

Great flood, would be saved by a flying saucer

Question 3

What happened that night for the prophecy?

Answer 3

Group switched from highly secretive to urgent proselytizing

When their beliefs were DISCONFIRMED they believed them EVEN MORE (nothing happened that night)

Question 4

What is cognitive dissonance theory?

Answer 4

People troubled by INCONSISENCY b/w their thoughts, feelings and actions

As a result of UNPLEASANT emotional state/dissonance

People are then MOTIVATED to REDUCE dissonance by rationalizing their actions/changing attitude = create CONSISTENCY

Question 5

How do people reduce dissonance and rationalise? (5)

Answer 5

1) changing attitudes
2) changing perception
3) adding consonant cognitions
4) minimizing importance of conflict
5) reusing perceived choice

Question 6

Methods of dissonance induction

1) Induced compliance

Answer 6

Someone with more POWER asks you to complete a task that does not fit with your beliefs

***IF YOU CANT JUSTIFY THE BEHAVIOUR WHY DID YOU DO IT?

Question 7

What does the “spread of alternatives” mean

Answer 7

ALTERING the aspects of the decision ALTERNATIVES to reduce dissonance

Chosen alternative = DESIRABLE

Rejected alternative = UNDESIRABLE

Question 8

Methods of dissonance induction

2) free choice

Answer 8

Choice b/w two EQUALLY attractive options arouses dissonance

Question 9

Methods of dissonance induction

3) Effort justification

Answer 9

Engaging in NEGATIVE behaviour for a desirable outcome

May be relevant in certain groups:

• hazing (painful initiation rituals)

Question 10

Methods of dissonance induction

4) Induced hypocrisy

Answer 10

Advocating for a belief

FAILING to act/support that belief

We all live with some sort of hypocrisy

ex) condom speech, those uni students still didn’t use them as much

Question 11

When is dissonance likely? (5)

Answer 11

1) When it IMPLICATES core-sense of SELF

2) When there are foreseeable NEGATIVE consequences for our ACTIONS

3) When there is WEAK external justification

4) When there is COMMITMENT

5) When there is CULTURAL influences

Question 12

What is the KEY difference b/w dissonance and self-perception?

Answer 12

The UNCOMFORTABLE AROUSAL involved in dissonance

Question 13

“________ ________” heightens dissonance

Answer 13

Self relevance

Driven/motivated to promote self, see ourselves as valuable, defend positive view

HOWEVER

Driven/motivated to grow and are driven by self-expansion

Question 14

Are positive illusions healthy?

Answer 14

They are “HEALTH PROTECTIVE” psychological resources that help people COPE with ADVERSITY

Can lead to chronic patterns of SELF-DEFEATING behaviours

Need to find the balance b/w coping and accuracy

Question 15

Maintaining positive illusions

What is “self-handicapping”?

Answer 15

Doing things that SABOTAGE our own performance in order to proved a SUBSEQUENT excuse for FAILURE

Way of PROTECTING self from seeing FAILURE as a lack of ability

Question 16

Maintaining positive illusions

What is “sand-bagging”

Answer 16

DOWNPLAYING own ability, or lowering expectations

Way to PROTECT self

NEGATIVE impact on performance

Question 17

Maintain positive illusions

What is social comparisons?
(Upward, downward, past)

Answer 17

Upward:
- Compare ourselves to someone who is BETTER = make us feel worse OR inspire us

Downward:
- Compare ourselves to someone who is WORSE = feel better about ourselves

Past:
- Tend to subjectively distance ourselves from PAST PERSONAL FAILURES
- Perceive PAST SUCCESSES as closer in time

*** Learn about our own abilities and attitudes

Question 18

What’s an empirical test of terror management theory?

Answer 18

Mortality salience hypothesis:

• CULTURAL worldview protects against death
• Death reminders should cause ppl to bolster worldviews/self-esteem

Ex) liberals vs conservatives for death sentences for criminals

Question 19

Reminders of death “________” investment in culture, but threatening culture “________” awareness of death

Answer 19

Increase

Increase

Question 20

What is self-affirmation theory?

Answer 20

Basic need for MORAK adequacy/integrity

Boost self esteem = protect people against threat

*** EVERYTHING IS ABOUT GAINING SELF-WORTH

Question 21

What is self-esteem threat?

Answer 21

Personality FEEDBACK (positive and negative)

Stereotype threat

Mortality salience threat

Question 22

What are the 3 types of conflict?

Answer 22

Approach - avoidance (+,-) MOST COMMON

Approach- approach (+,+)

Avoidance - avoidance (-,-)

Question 23

What is the behavioural inhibition system?

Answer 23

3rd system that deals with conflict

Similar/different pathways (amygdala, PFC etc…)

OUTPUTS: anxiety, stops ongoing behaviour

Question 24

What is the free-choice paradigm?

Answer 24

Based on the idea anytime people make a choice between two alternatives, there is LIKELY to be some dissonance

Question 25

What is the theory of symbolic self-completion?

Answer 25

Suggests that people COMPENSATE for their short-comings in a shallower way

Question 26

What is the illusion of transparency?

Answer 26

People often THINK they are better at hiding their internal feelings

Question 27

How does the theatre work as a metaphor?

Answer 27

SINCERE performances: automatically and unconsciously

CYNICAL performances: conscious attempts to make a particular impression

Question 28

What is self-determination theory?

Answer 28

People grow and thrive if they feel their actions are SELF-GOVERNED rather than controlled by extrinsic factors

Question 29

What are the 3 basic needs in self-determination theory?

Answer 29

1) relatedness
2) autonomy
3) competence