Dr. Zimmerman divided her first-period class into two groups. One group had to read 20 pages in a boring psychology text, but would get 2 extra points on the next test. The other group read the same 20 pages but were given 25 points added to the next test. The class members were then asked to tell the second-period class how interesting the book was. According to the results of the Festinger and Carlsmith study, what prediction could one make about the remarks of the first-period class?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the results of the Festinger and Carlsmith study, the group that received only 2 extra points had to justify their effort by changing their attitudes towards the book, so they would say the book was more interesting. On the other hand, the group that received a greater reward of 25 extra points did not have to justify their effort, so they would not change their attitudes towards the book and would likely say that the book was boring. Therefore, the first-period class would likely give different remarks depending on the reward they received: the group that got 2 extra points would say the book was interesting, but the group that got 25 extra points would say the book was boring.

Dr Zimmerman Divided Her First-Period Class into Two Groups