Kristen saved for over a year so that she could afford a trip to the Super Bowl if her favorite team won the title. She was excited when her team made it to the Super Bowl, but the actual game was fairly boring and Kristen's favorite team lost. Still, when Kristen got back home, she told all her friends about the great time she had at the game. Kristen's attitude about the game can BEST be explained by
A)ingratiation theory.
B)the matching hypothesis.
C)a self-serving bias.
D)effort justification.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Effort justification is a concept from social psychology that explains why people tend to rationalize their efforts and sacrifices by attributing a higher value to the outcome than it might actually deserve. In this case, Kristen likely rationalized the time and money she spent saving for the Super Bowl trip by focusing on the positive aspects of her experience, despite her team losing and the game being boring. This helps her to justify the effort and expense she put into attending the event.

Kristen Saved for Over a Year So That She Could