Cognitive Dissonance Theory of Leon Festinger
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Questions
According to Leon Festinger's theory, what is cognitive dissonance?
View answer and explanationIn the classic $1/$20 experiment conducted by Festinger and Carlsmith, which group of participants experienced the highest level of cognitive dissonance and consequently changed their attitude about the boring task?
View answer and explanationWhat does the 'minimal justification hypothesis' propose is the most effective way to induce attitude change?
View answer and explanationAccording to Festinger's theory, which of the following is an example of the 'selective exposure' hypothesis?
View answer and explanationWhat are the three conditions that heighten postdecision dissonance?
View answer and explanationWhat is the primary focus of Elliot Aronson's 'self-consistency' revision of cognitive dissonance theory?
View answer and explanationJoel Cooper's 'new look' model posits that we experience dissonance primarily when we believe our actions have done what?
View answer and explanationAccording to Claude Steele's self-affirmation approach, how might a person with high self-esteem deal with the dissonance from a minor unethical act?
View answer and explanationDaryl Bem's self-perception theory is presented as a critique of cognitive dissonance theory because it suggests what?
View answer and explanationWhich of the following scenarios best illustrates the concept of 'counterattitudinal advocacy'?
View answer and explanationIn the context of Festinger's theory, what term describes the public conformity to another's expectation without a private conviction that matches the behavior?
View answer and explanationThe chapter discusses the mental gymnastics a smoker might use to avoid dissonance. Which of the following is NOT listed as a typical method?
View answer and explanationWhat does the concept of a 'dissonance thermometer' refer to in the critique of Festinger's theory?
View answer and explanationThe chapter outlines a four-step process model for cognitive dissonance. Which of the following is the correct sequence?
View answer and explanationWhat practical advice does cognitive dissonance theory offer for persuading a friend to change a harmful opinion?
View answer and explanationWhy did the men in the $1/$20 experiment who were paid $20 feel little tension between their actions and attitudes?
View answer and explanationWhich of the three mental mechanisms hypothesized by Festinger explains why people tend to choose to be with like-minded people?
View answer and explanationIn the scenario with the ex-smoker 'Marlboro Man' in the movie Thank You for Smoking, what does cognitive dissonance theory predict would have happened if he had been offered a 'just-enough' amount of money instead of a massive amount?
View answer and explanationHow did Festinger and Carlsmith practice their own form of deception in the $1/$20 experiment?
View answer and explanationWhat is the key difference between Festinger's original theory and Joel Cooper's 'new look' revision?
View answer and explanationIn the critique section, what is the fundamental problem with using physiological measures like galvanic skin response as a 'dissonance thermometer'?
View answer and explanationFestinger's theory focuses primarily on which of the following as the main outcome of dissonance reduction?
View answer and explanationWhat was the conclusion of the research by D'Alessio and Allen on the selective exposure hypothesis?
View answer and explanationAccording to the 'self-consistency' perspective, a person who sees themselves as a 'schnook' would feel how much dissonance from behaving like a 'schnook'?
View answer and explanationWhat is the key condition required in Joel Cooper's 'new look' model for a person to feel personally responsible for a negative outcome?
View answer and explanationThe chapter mentions that after adjusting for inflation, the $20 offered in the Festinger and Carlsmith experiment would be equivalent to about how much today?
View answer and explanationWhich of the three revisions of dissonance theory addresses dissonance reduction at the back end of the process model (point D)?
View answer and explanationWhat is the aversive drive that Festinger considered as basic as the need for safety or to satisfy hunger?
View answer and explanationWhat does the text suggest is the 'best guarantee' that we will consider ideas that would otherwise seem threatening and bypass our selective exposure filters?
View answer and explanationIn the case of President Obama's decision to quit smoking, what reason did First Lady Michelle Obama give that aligns with a cognitive dissonance explanation?
View answer and explanationWhat percentage of Hollywood films surveyed by the University of California, San Francisco, showed attractive actors smoking?
View answer and explanationA follow-up study mentioned in the chapter found that smoking incidences in movies rated PG-13 and below increased by what percentage from 2010 to 2016?
View answer and explanationIn Daryl Bem's replication of the $1/$20 study, how did his subjects judge the attitude of the person in the recording?
View answer and explanationWhich of the three main hypotheses of cognitive dissonance theory is described as being 'counterintuitive'?
View answer and explanationWhat is the relationship between the magnitude of dissonance and the importance of the issue?
View answer and explanationWhat does Alan DeSantis's study of a cigar shop illustrate about reducing postdecision dissonance?
View answer and explanationWhen Festinger first published his theory in 1957, what topic did he choose to illustrate the concept of dissonance?
View answer and explanationAccording to the chapter, why do most persuasion researchers today subscribe to one of three revisions of Festinger's original theory?
View answer and explanationAccording to the chapter, what is the most promising attempt to develop a 'dissonance thermometer'?
View answer and explanationThe chapter states that Festinger's theory reverses the conventional wisdom of 'Attitude -> Behavior' to what sequence?
View answer and explanationWhat does the story of Aesop's fable about the fox and the 'sour grapes' illustrate?
View answer and explanationIn the context of the revisions to dissonance theory, Aronson, Cooper, and Steele all offer explanations that shift the focus from Festinger's logical inconsistency to cognitions about what?
View answer and explanationThe chapter states that Festinger's theory has achieved 'name recognition within popular culture,' as illustrated by what?
View answer and explanationWhat is the primary reason the chapter gives for why almost all of our actions are more entrenched than our thoughts, leading to attitude change rather than behavior change?
View answer and explanationIn the $1/$20 experiment, the task of sorting spools and turning pegs was designed to be what?
View answer and explanationWhat does the internal dialogue 'I'm a Stanford man. Am I the kind of guy who would lie for a dollar? No way.' represent in the explanation of the $1/$20 experiment?
View answer and explanationAccording to the chapter, which two dissonant cognitions did a hundred million Americans have to grapple with regarding smoking for the first time in their lives?
View answer and explanationWhich statement best reflects the practical advice on persuasion derived from the self-affirmation model?
View answer and explanationWhat does the text conclude about the relative simplicity of cognitive dissonance theory?
View answer and explanationAccording to the chapter, what determines whether a smoker's behavior or their cognition will change to reduce dissonance?
View answer and explanation