Question 1

Mark has a strong preference for Honda over all other car brands.When it came time to buy a new car, Mark finds that Nissan has released a new car that is more desirable to him, so he buys the Nissan.According to the research described in the textbook, why would this scenario increase dissonance in the wake of Mark's attitude-inconsistent behavior?

Accepted Answer

The scenario would increase dissonance because the behavior (buying a Nissan) is freely chosen and goes against Mark's established attitude (strong preference for Honda).

Question 2

Carol is a student from China and is good friends with Tanja, a student from Germany.According to research on cognitive dissonance, when is Carol more likely to experience dissonance, compared with Tanja?

Accepted Answer

According to research on cognitive dissonance, people experience the most dissonance when making a choice between two equally attractive options. Therefore, when Carol is choosing between two pairs of shoes as a gift for her mother, she is more likely to experience dissonance compared with Tanja. This is because the decision involves considering multiple factors, such as style, comfort, price, and suitability for her mother's taste, which can create conflicting thoughts and emotions. The other options, such as choosing between two necklaces or listening to loud music while shopping, are unlikely to generate as much dissonance because they involve simpler decision-making or unrelated distractions.

Question 3

According to Heider's theory, which of the following is an example of a triad that is balanced?

Accepted Answer

Heider's balance theory states that a triad is balanced if the product of the signs of the relationships is positive. In option B, you and Donna both dislike Laura, which creates a balanced triad.

Question 4

To learn whether participants' responses in cognitive dissonance experiments are the product of dispassionate reasoning, Daryl Bem conducted a number of interpersonal stimulations.Which of the following are features of such simulations?

Accepted Answer

The answer of To learn whether participants' responses in cognitive...

Question 5

Let's say a company that makes a consumer product such as laundry detergent asks customers to write a testimonial about the product in exchange for a small chance of winning a prize.What does cognitive dissonance theory predict will happen to consumers who participate and write the testimonial?

Accepted Answer

According to cognitive dissonance theory, when individuals engage in behavior that contradicts their attitudes, they will experience discomfort or dissonance. In this situation, customers may have previously held negative attitudes towards the laundry detergent, but by writing a positive testimonial, they are contradicting those attitudes. To reduce the dissonance that results from this inconsistency, they may alter their attitudes to be more positive towards the product.

Question 6

Consider the following quote: "How do I know what I think until I hear what I say?" The sentiment expressed in this quote captures the essence of

Accepted Answer

The quote suggests that individuals often rely on their external behaviors to form opinions about their internal thoughts and feelings. This aligns with self-perception theory, which posits that individuals infer their own attitudes and beliefs based on their own behaviors and the context in which those behaviors occur. Thus, people may not know what they truly think about something until they observe their own actions or hear themselves speak about the topic.

Question 7

Both cognitive dissonance theory and balance theory are referred to as ____________ theories.

Accepted Answer

Both cognitive dissonance theory and balance theory are concerned with individuals maintaining cognitive consistency or balance in their attitudes and beliefs.

Question 8

According to the concept of effort justification,

Accepted Answer

Effort justification suggests that people tend to value things more highly when they have had to put in a lot of effort or endure difficult circumstances to attain them. In the case of fraternity hazing, for example, pledging members may feel a sense of loyalty and belonging to the group after enduring difficult initiations.

Question 9

After doing poorly on his biology exam, Jim reminds himself that he is a good artist and a loving boyfriend.Thus, Jim is using ____________ to cope with a potential threat to his self-esteem.

Accepted Answer

Self-affirmation involves focusing on and reminding oneself of positive aspects of one's identity and skills in order to cope with threats to self-esteem. In this case, Jim is using his abilities as an artist and a loving boyfriend to boost his self-esteem after doing poorly on his exam.

Question 10

According to the textbook, the self-perception processes posited by Daryl Bem are particularly likely to be invoked when

Accepted Answer

According to the textbook, self-perception processes are particularly likely to be invoked when behavior is inconsistent with attitudes that are relatively vague. Bem proposes that in these situations people infer their attitudes from their behavior, as they do not have a clear pre-existing attitude to rely on.

Question 11

If Jeff believes in saving the environment but finds himself deciding to throw away aluminum cans because his college campus does not recycle, he may experience an aversive emotional state due to the inconsistency between two cognitions.This is an example of

Accepted Answer

This scenario describes cognitive dissonance, which occurs when someone holds two conflicting beliefs or attitudes. In this case, Jeff believes in saving the environment, but is also throwing away aluminum cans, which is not in line with his environmental values. This creates a sense of discomfort, or dissonance, which people tend to resolve by changing one of their beliefs or attitudes to be consistent with the other.

Question 12

According to Daryl Bem, self-perception theory is most appropriately applied to situations in which

Accepted Answer

Self-perception theory suggests that people infer their attitudes from their behavior when their prior attitudes are weak or ambiguous.

Question 13

Claude Steele's research on self-affirmation suggests that people who are ____________ to self-affirm are generally ____________ than people who are ____________ to self-affirm.

Accepted Answer

Claude Steele's research on self-affirmation indicates that individuals who are more likely to engage in self-affirmation tend to be less troubled by threats to their self-integrity compared to those who are less able to self-affirm.

Question 14

According to the textbook, research on cognitive dissonance teaches a broad and important lesson about how to influence someone else's attitudes.Specifically, if you want people to ____________ the broader value or message behind what you got them to do, then you should use the ____________ amount of incentive or coercion necessary to induce compliance.

Accepted Answer

Research on cognitive dissonance suggests that in order to make someone internalize the broader value or message behind what they did, it is best to use the smallest amount of incentive or coercion necessary to induce compliance. Using too much external pressure or reward may lead the person to attribute their compliance solely to the external incentive, rather than internalizing the underlying message or value.

Question 15

Consider the following statement: "Making hard decisions triggers dissonance, which in turn triggers processes of rationalization that make us comfortable with our decisions." This statement captures the phenomenon explained by

Accepted Answer

The statement describes the process of cognitive dissonance, where our discomfort with a decision we have made leads us to rationalize it in order to reduce the dissonance.

Question 16

Mark cannot decide which video game to purchase.After thinking it over, he buys the latest fighting game.As he leaves the store, he feels an uncomfortable tension.In order to resolve this tension, Mark must engage in

Accepted Answer

The uncomfortable tension Mark is feeling is most likely cognitive dissonance, which occurs when there is a conflict between our attitudes or beliefs and our behavior. In this case, Mark may have had doubts about his purchase decision after buying the game. In order to reduce this dissonance, he may engage in dissonance reduction strategies such as seeking out information that supports his purchase (e.g. reading positive reviews) or downplaying the importance of his doubts.

Question 17

Many people who choose not to have children suspect that homebound, sleep-deprived, and financially strapped parents are fooling themselves when they say that nothing in life brings them more pleasure than parenthood.In other words, these childless people suggest that parents put a lot of energy into ____________ in order to decrease cognitive dissonance.

Accepted Answer

The concept of effort justification suggests that when people put a lot of effort into something, they tend to justify their actions by believing it was worth it. In this case, parents who put a lot of energy into raising children may experience cognitive dissonance if they later come to regret having children or feel like they are not enjoying parenthood as much as they thought they would. Effort justification may lead them to emphasize the positive aspects of parenthood in order to reduce this dissonance.

Question 18

Consider the following commonsense saying: "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." According to cognitive dissonance theory, trying again should ____________ how much you value the outcome of your efforts.

Accepted Answer

According to cognitive dissonance theory, when we put effort into something, we tend to increase our value for the outcome to reduce the dissonance caused by the efforts put in. Therefore, trying again after initially failing would increase the value we place on the outcome, as we are putting in more effort towards achieving it.

Question 19

According to the textbook, getting paid a lot of money to do things that violate your core values-as compared to getting no money to violate your core values-should

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the textbook, getting paid a...

Question 20

Induced compliance is a form of behavior that

Accepted Answer

Induced compliance is a situation where a person is induced or pressured to engage in a behavior that is inconsistent with their beliefs, attitudes, or values. This can create cognitive dissonance, which is a mental discomfort caused by holding two contradictory beliefs. As a result, the person may try to justify or rationalize their behavior to reduce the discomfort.

Quiz 7: Attitudes, Behavior, and Rationalization