PSY 2110 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Cognitive Dissonance
22 Mar 2019
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Document Summary
Attitudes and attitude change: article 11: cognitive consequences of forced compliance. Cognitive dissonance refers to the theory that people feel a tension when they are aware of an inconsistency either between two attitudes or between an attitude and behaviour. Such tension produces some type of change to reduce the state of dissonance. The outcome is often counterintuitive to what common sense would predict. Often, the private opinion changes to bring it closer with the overt behaviour the person was forced to perform. Example: if a person is forced to write a speech supporting a view of which they disagree, their private opinion moves toward the position advocated for in the speech. Person who is forced to improvise a speech convinces themselves (vs. memorizing one) Example: if a person is forced to make an overt statement contrary to their private opinion by the offer of some reward, the greater the reward offered produced less subsequent opinion change.
