Psychology 2070A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Cognitive Dissonance

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2070A/B
• Professor: Erin Heerey

Document Summary

Justifying dissonance: external justi cation: explaining our dissonant behaviour in terms of things outside ourselves (ex. To get a reward, to avoid hurting someone"s feelings: does not contribute to unpleasant feelings of discomfort, internal justi cation: reducing dissonance by changing something about ourselves (ex. Brain signals: neuroscientists have shown that reasoning areas of the brain reduce their activity after presentation of dissonance invoking information, when the inconsistency is resolved, reward circuitry becomes more active. Justifying bad deeds: according to cognitive dissonance theory, when we hurt someone we sometimes comes to dislike or hate that person, justi es our cruelty, ex. Psychology of justi cation: external justi cation: a person"s reason or explanation for dissonant behaviour that resides outside the individual (ex. In order to receive a large reward: internal justi cation: the reduction of dissonance by changing something about oneself (ex.