In Festinger's studies of cognitive dissonance, some participants claimed to enjoy the boring task they were asked to do and some participants indicated that they found the task boring. What independent variable differed between the groups, to cause this difference in attitude?

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In Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory experiments, the key independent variable that differed between groups was the amount of compensation participants received. Those who were well-paid (the 'bored' participants) had a sufficient external justification for their actions, so they did not need to change their attitudes towards the task. In contrast, those who were paid little or not at all experienced dissonance between their attitudes and their actions, leading some to resolve this dissonance by convincing themselves that the task was more enjoyable than they initially thought.

In Festinger's Studies of Cognitive Dissonance, Some Participants Claimed to Enjoy