Elliot Aronson and his colleagues (1991,1993)asked college students either to compose a persuasive message advocating the use of condoms,or to compose and deliver their message in front of a video camera.In addition,half of the participants in each group were made mindful of the times that they didn't use condoms.After completing these tasks,participants were allowed to purchase condoms at a low price.What is the significance of their findings from this experiment?

Question

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The experiment demonstrated that dissonance created by feelings of hypocrisy (i.e. being mindful of times when they didn't use condoms) can change both attitudes and behaviours. The participants who composed and delivered a persuasive message advocating the use of condoms were more likely to purchase condoms at a low price when they were made mindful of their own past failures to use condoms. This suggests that acknowledging one's past failures can create a feeling of hypocrisy, which in turn can lead to both attitude and behaviour change.

Elliot Aronson and His Colleagues (1991,1993)asked College Students Either to Compose