Recall that Brehm (1956) asked women to rate the desirability of a number of appliances, and then allowed them to choose one of those appliances as a gift. Twenty minutes later, all women re-rated the same appliances, including the one they chose. According to his findings, which of the following (fictitious) participants would rate the toaster lower than she had originally?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Brehm's findings, participants who had to choose between equally desirable options experienced post-decision dissonance, which led them to rate the rejected alternative lower than they originally had. Therefore, June, who chose the waffle iron instead of the toaster, is most likely to rate the toaster lower than she originally did. Participants who felt pressured to select a specific option, already rated an option low at the outset, or chose an option they loved are not as likely to experience post-decision dissonance and change their ratings.

Recall That Brehm (1956) Asked Women to Rate the Desirability