Question 1

N'Faly and Iarla are both attending psychotherapy to cure their agoraphobia. N'Faly's therapist is using a traditional exposure method, through which N'Faly will gradually get further and further from his house. Iarla is using a controversial new method, involving standing outside his house and screaming. What does research suggest will be the outcome of these therapies?

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that the belief in the chosen therapy can enhance its effectiveness due to the placebo effect, regardless of the method used.

Question 2

People from individualist cultures are more likely to experience dissonance _____, while people from collectivist cultures are more likely to experience dissonance _____.

Accepted Answer

Individualist cultures prioritize personal goals and autonomy, leading to more dissonance in private settings when personal decisions conflict with personal beliefs. Collectivist cultures prioritize group goals and harmony, leading to more dissonance in public settings when actions or decisions conflict with group norms or expectations.

Question 3

Santiago is addicted to candy, but he is also a nutrition expert who is aware that candy is bad for his health. Out of the following options, what is probably the MOST likely way that he will try to resolve his dissonance?

Accepted Answer

Santiago might rationalize his behavior by thinking that the happiness from eating candy outweighs the negative health effects, thus reducing the dissonance between his actions and beliefs.

Question 4

Ataui is asked by her niece to explain why it is not good to sit around all day without exercising. Then, a few minutes later, Ataui reflects on the fact that she has not exercised in quite some time. According to research on cognitive dissonance processes, what is Ataui now likely to do?

Accepted Answer

Ataui is experiencing cognitive dissonance, which is the mental discomfort that arises when a person holds two contradictory beliefs or values. In this case, she believes that it is not good to sit around all day without exercising, but she has not exercised in quite some time. To reduce this discomfort, Ataui is likely to engage in exercise to align her behavior with her belief that exercise is important. This is known as cognitive dissonance reduction or behavior change.

Question 5

In a study on induced hypocrisy and condom use, which participants were most likely to purchase a condom at the end of the study?

Accepted Answer

Participants who had made a public speech advocating condom use and then were reminded of a time when they did not use condoms were most likely to purchase a condom. This is due to the induced hypocrisy condition, which increases the awareness of the discrepancy between their public advocacy and their private behavior, motivating them to reduce this inconsistency by purchasing a condom.

Question 6

Which of the following factors does NOT typically affect the magnitude of dissonance?

Accepted Answer

A person's level of self-esteem does not typically affect the magnitude of dissonance. The other factors listed (level of commitment to an action, amount of external justification, and extent of foreseeable aversive consequences) all contribute to the level of dissonance a person experiences.

Question 7

In a classic study conducted by Festinger and Carlsmith (1959) on cognitive dissonance, under which circumstance did subjects come to believe that a boring task was interesting.

Accepted Answer

In Festinger and Carlsmith's study, participants who were paid $1 to tell someone that a boring task was interesting experienced cognitive dissonance, as they were aware that the task was actually boring but had told someone else (the experimenter) that it was interesting. To reduce the dissonance, they came to believe that the task was actually interesting, thus justifying their behavior of lying about their enjoyment of the task. Participants who were paid $20 did not experience cognitive dissonance, as the high payment provided sufficient external justification for their behavior. Therefore, choice B is the correct answer.

Question 8

The phenomenon whereby people reduce dissonance by convincing themselves that what they suffered for is actually quite valuable is referred to as _____.

Accepted Answer

Effort justification refers to the tendency for people to reduce dissonance by convincing themselves that what they suffered for is actually quite valuable. This can happen when people put a lot of effort into something and then feel cognitive dissonance if they don't see the expected results.

Question 9

In the induced hypocrisy paradigm:

Accepted Answer

In the induced hypocrisy paradigm, participants advocate an opinion they already believe in, and then are reminded of a time when their actions contradicted that opinion. This creates a sense of cognitive dissonance, which may lead to attitude change. Option B is describing a different experimental paradigm known as the "hazing paradigm". Option C describes the "forced compliance paradigm", and option D describes the "minimum justification paradigm".

Question 10

Which of the following study designs describes the induced compliance paradigm?

Accepted Answer

The induced compliance paradigm is a study design in which individuals are forced to engage in a behavior that goes against their attitudes. This is an experimental approach used by social psychologists to study cognitive dissonance theory, which states that people experience mental discomfort or dissonance when they hold two or more inconsistent beliefs, values, or attitudes. In the induced compliance paradigm, participants are asked to perform a task that is not in line with their attitudes, and researchers measure their attitudes towards the task before and after performing it.

Question 11

A study (Staw 1974) was conducted among those who signed up for the R.O.T.C. during the Vietnam era draft years. In this study, which group of individuals became comparably better soldiers?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A study (Staw 1974) was conducted among...

Question 12

Which of the following possibilities is NOT a primary way to reduce dissonance?

Accepted Answer

Reflecting deeply on the inconsistency between the two cognitions is not a primary way to reduce dissonance. The primary ways to reduce dissonance are to trivialize the inconsistent cognitions, change one of the inconsistent cognitions, or add a third cognition that makes the original cognitions seem less inconsistent. Reflecting deeply on the inconsistency may lead to further cognitive dissonance and discomfort rather than reducing it.

Question 13

Which of the following study designs describes the free choice paradigm?

Accepted Answer

The free choice paradigm is a study design in which individuals choose between alternatives and their subsequent attraction to the alternatives is assessed. This design is often used to measure cognitive dissonance and the degree to which individuals justify or rationalize their choices. Options A, C, and D do not accurately describe the free choice paradigm.

Question 14

What is the key idea behind cognitive dissonance theory?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance theory posits that people experience psychological discomfort (dissonance) when they hold beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors that are inconsistent with each other. This discomfort motivates individuals to reduce the dissonance by changing their beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors to become more consistent.

Question 15

A person is most likely to exaggerate the differences between two alternatives when they have been forced to choose between:

Accepted Answer

When faced with two equally desirable alternatives, a person is more likely to exaggerate the differences between them in order to justify their choice, as both options are appealing and the decision is difficult.

Question 16

Aronson and Mills (1959) conducted a classic study in which female college students were recruited for a discussion group. The discussion that they actually listened to was quite boring; however, prior to hearing the discussion, women participated in different conditions. Women in which experimental condition expressed the greatest interest in the discussion and commitment to the group?

Accepted Answer

The study demonstrated the "effort justification" effect, where participants who underwent a severe initiation (reading explicit pornography) rated the discussion more favorably to justify the effort they put in.

Question 17

The induced hypocrisy paradigm is used to activate a sense of _____.

Accepted Answer

The induced hypocrisy paradigm is used to create cognitive dissonance, which is the mental discomfort experienced by a person who holds two or more contradictory beliefs or values at the same time. This discomfort is intended to motivate a change in behavior or attitude to resolve the inconsistency.

Question 18

Which of the following examples involves someone using the strategy of trivialization to reduce dissonance?

Accepted Answer

The person who litters is using the strategy of trivialization by downplaying the importance of finding a trash can and rationalizing their behavior by believing that many other people also litter in the area.

Question 19

Spreading of alternatives is a strategy that is relevant to _____.

Accepted Answer

Spreading of alternatives refers to presenting multiple options to a person in an attempt to increase their sense of free choice and reduce dissonance. Therefore, the strategy is most relevant to the free choice paradigm.

Question 20

Which of the following circumstances will NOT reduce the level of dissonance a person feels in a situation?

Accepted Answer

Feeling very committed to an action taken actually increases the level of dissonance experienced by a person, as they may feel they have invested too much in a decision to change their mind or behavior. A, B, and C are all circumstances that can reduce dissonance by providing a way for a person to justify their actions or beliefs.

Quiz 6: The Key Self-Motives: Consistency, Esteem, Presentation, and Growth

People from individualist cultures are more likely to experience dissonance _, while people from collectivist cultures are more likely to experience dissonance _.