Cognitive Dissonance Theory of Leon Festinger

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Questions

Question 1

According to Leon Festinger's theory, what is cognitive dissonance?

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Question 2

In 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?

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Question 3

What does the 'minimal justification hypothesis' propose is the most effective way to induce attitude change?

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Question 4

According to Festinger's theory, which of the following is an example of the 'selective exposure' hypothesis?

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Question 5

What are the three conditions that heighten postdecision dissonance?

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Question 6

What is the primary focus of Elliot Aronson's 'self-consistency' revision of cognitive dissonance theory?

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Question 7

Joel Cooper's 'new look' model posits that we experience dissonance primarily when we believe our actions have done what?

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Question 8

According to Claude Steele's self-affirmation approach, how might a person with high self-esteem deal with the dissonance from a minor unethical act?

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Question 9

Daryl Bem's self-perception theory is presented as a critique of cognitive dissonance theory because it suggests what?

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Question 10

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the concept of 'counterattitudinal advocacy'?

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Question 11

In the context of Festinger's theory, what term describes the public conformity to another's expectation without a private conviction that matches the behavior?

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Question 12

The chapter discusses the mental gymnastics a smoker might use to avoid dissonance. Which of the following is NOT listed as a typical method?

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Question 13

What does the concept of a 'dissonance thermometer' refer to in the critique of Festinger's theory?

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Question 14

The chapter outlines a four-step process model for cognitive dissonance. Which of the following is the correct sequence?

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Question 15

What practical advice does cognitive dissonance theory offer for persuading a friend to change a harmful opinion?

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Question 16

Why did the men in the $1/$20 experiment who were paid $20 feel little tension between their actions and attitudes?

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Question 17

Which of the three mental mechanisms hypothesized by Festinger explains why people tend to choose to be with like-minded people?

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Question 18

In 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?

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Question 19

How did Festinger and Carlsmith practice their own form of deception in the $1/$20 experiment?

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Question 20

What is the key difference between Festinger's original theory and Joel Cooper's 'new look' revision?

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Question 21

In the critique section, what is the fundamental problem with using physiological measures like galvanic skin response as a 'dissonance thermometer'?

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Question 22

Festinger's theory focuses primarily on which of the following as the main outcome of dissonance reduction?

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Question 23

What was the conclusion of the research by D'Alessio and Allen on the selective exposure hypothesis?

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Question 24

According to the 'self-consistency' perspective, a person who sees themselves as a 'schnook' would feel how much dissonance from behaving like a 'schnook'?

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Question 25

What is the key condition required in Joel Cooper's 'new look' model for a person to feel personally responsible for a negative outcome?

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Question 26

The chapter mentions that after adjusting for inflation, the $20 offered in the Festinger and Carlsmith experiment would be equivalent to about how much today?

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Question 27

Which of the three revisions of dissonance theory addresses dissonance reduction at the back end of the process model (point D)?

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Question 28

What is the aversive drive that Festinger considered as basic as the need for safety or to satisfy hunger?

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Question 29

What does the text suggest is the 'best guarantee' that we will consider ideas that would otherwise seem threatening and bypass our selective exposure filters?

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Question 30

In 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?

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Question 31

What percentage of Hollywood films surveyed by the University of California, San Francisco, showed attractive actors smoking?

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Question 32

A 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?

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Question 33

In Daryl Bem's replication of the $1/$20 study, how did his subjects judge the attitude of the person in the recording?

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Question 34

Which of the three main hypotheses of cognitive dissonance theory is described as being 'counterintuitive'?

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Question 35

What is the relationship between the magnitude of dissonance and the importance of the issue?

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Question 36

What does Alan DeSantis's study of a cigar shop illustrate about reducing postdecision dissonance?

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Question 37

When Festinger first published his theory in 1957, what topic did he choose to illustrate the concept of dissonance?

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Question 38

According to the chapter, why do most persuasion researchers today subscribe to one of three revisions of Festinger's original theory?

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Question 39

According to the chapter, what is the most promising attempt to develop a 'dissonance thermometer'?

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Question 40

The chapter states that Festinger's theory reverses the conventional wisdom of 'Attitude -> Behavior' to what sequence?

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Question 41

What does the story of Aesop's fable about the fox and the 'sour grapes' illustrate?

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Question 42

In 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?

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Question 43

The chapter states that Festinger's theory has achieved 'name recognition within popular culture,' as illustrated by what?

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Question 44

What 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?

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Question 45

In the $1/$20 experiment, the task of sorting spools and turning pegs was designed to be what?

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Question 46

What 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?

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Question 47

According 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?

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Question 48

Which statement best reflects the practical advice on persuasion derived from the self-affirmation model?

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Question 49

What does the text conclude about the relative simplicity of cognitive dissonance theory?

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Question 50

According to the chapter, what determines whether a smoker's behavior or their cognition will change to reduce dissonance?

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