What is the role of arousal in the effect of cognitive dissonance on attitude change?
A) People change their attitudes as a result of pleasant arousal.
B) People are more likely to experience cognitive dissonance when they are pleasantly aroused.
C) Inconsistency between attitudes and behavior leads to unpleasant arousal, which prevents people from changing their attitudes.
D) Inconsistency between attitudes and behavior leads to unpleasant arousal, which makes people change their attitudes.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that when people experience inconsistency between their attitudes and their behavior, it leads to unpleasant arousal. This arousal is then resolved through either changing one's behavior or changing one's attitude to be more consistent with their behavior. This means that cognitive dissonance can lead to attitude change, but only when the arousal caused by inconsistency between attitudes and behavior is unpleasant. Therefore, option D is the correct answer.

What Is the Role of Arousal in the Effect of Cognitive