Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive dissonance is having a thought, idea, attitude, or belief that seems to be out of tune. Cognitive dissonance tends to result in different ways based on the situation that it occurs in. If a person is forced to say an opinion that differs from their own, they experience an out of tune feeling. In Roger Hock’s book “Forty Studies that Changed Psychology,” he recognizes the study of cognitive dissonance performed by Leon Festinger. In “Thoughts Out of Tune,” the article specifically explaining Festinger’s study, Hock goes further into detail. He explains that if we are forced to state an opposed view, while preparing for it, we tend to believe it along with out own. This creates confusing, stress, and dissonance. Festinger’s study explains why and when people may or may not feel cognitive dissonance. Festinger proposed whatever you state publicly, will be a reflection of your personal views. If any person must speak publicly for any reason that goes against their own private belief, they will definitely feel uncomfortable. However, when offered a reward, the comfort levels can change. If someone offers the speaker a large reward, the speaker will feel more comfort in changing their attitude about the ideas or beliefs being said, even when they don’t believe them. If someone offers the speaker a small reward, the speaker will feel more discomfort because they do not feel there was justification in what they are being rewarded and will have more of a negative attitude than those being greater rewarded. Festinger performed his experiment on a control group, group A, and group B. Each group contained twenty participants. Group A was the group given one dollar to perform the experiment. Group B was given twenty dollars to perform the experiment. All group were interviewed after the performing ‘the experiment,’ which was to empty and refill a tray of 12 spools for 30 minutes and to turn 48 square pegs a quarter of a turn clockwise for
Cognitive dissonance is having a thought, idea, attitude, or belief that seems to be out of tune. Cognitive dissonance tends to result in different ways based on the situation that it occurs in. If a person is forced to say an opinion that differs from their own, they experience an out of tune feeling. In Roger Hock’s book “Forty Studies that Changed Psychology,” he recognizes the study of cognitive dissonance performed by Leon Festinger. In “Thoughts Out of Tune,” the article specifically explaining Festinger’s study, Hock goes further into detail. He explains that if we are forced to state an opposed view, while preparing for it, we tend to believe it along with out own. This creates confusing, stress, and dissonance. Festinger’s study explains why and when people may or may not feel cognitive dissonance. Festinger proposed whatever you state publicly, will be a reflection of your personal views. If any person must speak publicly for any reason that goes against their own private belief, they will definitely feel uncomfortable. However, when offered a reward, the comfort levels can change. If someone offers the speaker a large reward, the speaker will feel more comfort in changing their attitude about the ideas or beliefs being said, even when they don’t believe them. If someone offers the speaker a small reward, the speaker will feel more discomfort because they do not feel there was justification in what they are being rewarded and will have more of a negative attitude than those being greater rewarded. Festinger performed his experiment on a control group, group A, and group B. Each group contained twenty participants. Group A was the group given one dollar to perform the experiment. Group B was given twenty dollars to perform the experiment. All group were interviewed after the performing ‘the experiment,’ which was to empty and refill a tray of 12 spools for 30 minutes and to turn 48 square pegs a quarter of a turn clockwise for
References: Chen, M. K., & Risen, J. L. (2010). How choice affects and reflects preferences: revisiting the free-choice paradigm Hock, R. R. (2008). Forty studies that changed psychology: explorations into the history of psychological research (6th ed.) Matz, D. C., & Wood, W. (2005). Cognitive dissonance in groups: the consequences of disagreement Push, S. D., Groth, M., & Hennig-Thurau, T. (2011) Willing and able to fake emotions: A closer examination of the link between emotional dissonance and employee well-being