PSYCH 104 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Psych, Fraternities And Sororities, Leon Festinger
Document Summary
We strive for consistency and coherence in our cognitions. Balance theory: proposed by heider in 1944. Considers the consistency among emotions within a simple cognitive system. Involves two people and an attitude object. When two people have positive feelings for each other and agree on an attitude object. When two people have negative feelings for each other and disagree on an attitude object. Balanced relationships are comfortable, stable, and resistant to change. Unbalanced relationships are stressful, unstable and open to change. Persuade the other person to change his attitude. No room for compromise in this model. There"s a pressure toward consistency between attitude and behavior. Dissonance occurs when the two are inconsistent. Attitude discrepant behavior: if you engage in behavior that is inconsistent with our attitude dissonance; easiest way to reduce tension is to change the attitude. Racial identity: asians, native americans, hispanics, african americans.
