Question 1

When you have "clashing thoughts," you are experiencing

Accepted Answer

Clashing thoughts refer to conflicting beliefs or attitudes, which can create cognitive dissonance. This can occur when a person's actions or behaviors are inconsistent with their values or beliefs, causing psychological discomfort. A person may experience cognitive dissonance when they find themselves doing something that goes against their morals or beliefs.

Question 2

Once you have publicly committed yourself to a belief,there is a strong need to maintain consistency and even to convince others so there will be added proof that you were correct in your belief,according to the

Accepted Answer

The described behavior is consistent with the cognitive dissonance theory, which states that people feel discomfort when their actions do not align with their beliefs or values, and they will seek to reduce this discomfort by either changing their behavior, their belief, or their perception of the situation. In this case, the need to maintain consistency with the previously held belief is a way to reduce this discomfort.

Question 3

College students are more likely to think their courses will be good AFTER they have registered than they did before making a commitment.Emphasizing the positive aspects of what we choose,while downgrading other alternatives will minimize

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon described in the question is an example of cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance refers to the discomfort experienced when our beliefs or attitudes conflict with our behaviors or the choices we have made. In this case, before registering for courses, the students may have had doubts or concerns about certain courses. Registering for them creates a situation where their attitudes and beliefs conflict with their behavior, which can cause cognitive dissonance. To reduce this discomfort, the students may emphasize the positive aspects of their chosen courses and downplay the negative aspects of other potential courses. This is a common way to reduce cognitive dissonance.

Question 4

After dating Miguel for several months,Tia could list many of his outstanding qualities.However,Tia was beginning to note that Miguel was very "tight" with his money and also seemed very stubborn regarding certain issues.When she was talking with a friend,Tia was heard to state that she admired Miguel for being frugal and for having integrity regarding his beliefs.Thus,by changing Miguel's "cheapness" and "stubbornness" into virtues,Tia has been able to resolve her

Accepted Answer

Tia is experiencing cognitive dissonance, which is the discomfort that arises when a person's beliefs or behaviors contradict each other. In this case, Tia's positive feelings towards Miguel are contradicting her negative feelings towards his behavior regarding money and stubbornness. Tia's way of resolving this cognitive dissonance is by changing her perception of Miguel's negative traits into positive ones, allowing her to maintain her positive feelings towards him.

Question 5

After Mrs.Keech's doomsday predictions failed,her followers suddenly became interested in convincing others they were right.This strong need to maintain consistency in their beliefs by attracting additional followers is predicted by the __________ theory.

Accepted Answer

The need to maintain consistency in beliefs after experiencing dissonance (such as the failure of Mrs. Keech's predictions) is predicted by cognitive dissonance theory. The followers may feel uncomfortable with the fact that they were wrong and invested so much time and effort into their beliefs, so they may try to convince others to join them in order to reduce this dissonance.

Question 6

Once your mind is made up,you will reject any new information that contradicts the ideas you already hold,according to the

Accepted Answer

The described phenomenon is known as cognitive dissonance, which is the discomfort or tension we experience when our beliefs or behaviors contradict with each other. In order to reduce this discomfort, we tend to reject or ignore new information that contradicts our existing beliefs.

Question 7

We tend to emphasize positive aspects of what we choose,while downgrading other alternatives in order to minimize

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon described in the question is known as cognitive dissonance. When we make a choice, we tend to emphasize its positive aspects and downplay the negatives in order to reduce the psychological discomfort of feeling conflicted about our decision. This is a classic example of cognitive dissonance, which is the discomfort we feel when our attitudes and actions are in conflict with each other.

Question 8

Which of the following can motivate people to make their thoughts or attitudes agree with their actions?

Accepted Answer

Inconsistency refers to the discomfort people feel when they hold two or more contradictory beliefs, attitudes or values, or when their actions do not align with their beliefs or attitudes. This discomfort motivates them to adjust their beliefs or attitudes to match their actions, or vice versa. For example, if someone who values health and fitness indulges in unhealthy eating habits, they may feel uncomfortable and start to adopt healthier eating habits to align with their values.

Question 9

Smokers are told on every pack that cigarettes endanger their lives.Some smokers actually quit,although many more convince themselves that smoking is not really dangerous by citing examples of heavy smokers who lived long lives,by spending time with other smokers,and by avoiding any information that links smoking with cancer.By doing this,the smoker is able to reduce the tension created by

Accepted Answer

The smoker is experiencing cognitive dissonance, which is the mental discomfort or tension experienced by a person who holds two or more contradictory beliefs or values at the same time. In this case, the smoker believes that smoking is enjoyable but also that smoking is dangerous and can cause cancer. By convincing themselves that smoking is not really dangerous, the smoker reduces the cognitive dissonance or tension they feel.

Question 10

Cognitions are thoughts,while dissonance means

Accepted Answer

Dissonance means clashing or inconsistency, which refers to the psychological discomfort experienced when holding two or more conflicting cognitions or beliefs.

Question 11

Regarding persuasion,which of the following statements is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

While conformity, compliance, and coercion may be factors that influence persuasion, they do not represent the only factors or a comprehensive framework for understanding persuasion. Other factors such as emotional appeals, credibility, and the persuader's charisma may also play important roles in persuasion.

Question 12

Contradicting or clashing thoughts cause discomfort,according to the theory of

Accepted Answer

The theory of cognitive dissonance suggests that contradicting or clashing thoughts create a sense of discomfort or dissonance within an individual. This discomfort can motivate individuals to change or modify their beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors in order to reduce or eliminate the dissonance.

Question 13

The theory that explains attitude change in terms of a need to maintain consistency in our thoughts and actions is the __________ theory.

Accepted Answer

The theory that explains attitude change in terms of a need to maintain consistency in our thoughts and actions is the cognitive dissonance theory. This theory suggests that when people experience cognitive dissonance, they will seek to reduce it by changing their attitudes or behaviors.

Question 14

Cognitive dissonance theory is based on the human need for

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance theory is based on the human need for consistency. According to the theory, people have a motivational drive to maintain consistency among their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. When inconsistency or dissonance arises, people feel uncomfortable and are motivated to reduce the dissonance. This could be done by changing their attitude or behavior, or by justifying the inconsistency in some way. This suggests that people have a fundamental need for consistency in order to reduce discomfort or dissonance.

Question 15

Celeste worked and voted for a candidate that she later discovered was dishonest and immoral.These facts made Celeste very uncomfortable because these were attributes that she does not admire.Celeste's feelings can best be explained by the

Accepted Answer

Celeste's discomfort can be explained by cognitive dissonance theory, which proposes that people experience psychological discomfort when they hold two conflicting beliefs or attitudes. In this case, Celeste believed in honesty and morality, but also voted for a candidate who was dishonest and immoral, leading to cognitive dissonance and discomfort.

Question 16

Jason had promised to help his elderly next door neighbor move some heavy furniture next Friday.When Friday came,Jason really wanted to go with his friends to the beach,but he did promise the neighbor.He decides to help the neighbor because the "old guy" always had been nice to him and deserves his help and,besides,he tells great stories.Jason was able to find "this helping behavior" meaningful by

Accepted Answer

Jason was experiencing cognitive dissonance between his desire to go to the beach and his promise to help his neighbor. By choosing to help his neighbor, he resolved this dissonance by aligning his behavior with his previously made promise.

Question 17

According to the theory of cognitive dissonance,attitudes are changed because

Accepted Answer

According to the theory of cognitive dissonance, attitudes are changed because when people hold conflicting or clashing thoughts, it causes discomfort or psychological tension called cognitive dissonance. In order to reduce this discomfort, people may change their attitudes or beliefs to align with their actions or justify their actions to align with their attitudes.

Question 18

According to your text,all of the following are strategies that reduce cognitive dissonance EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

Adding dissonant thoughts would only increase the level of cognitive dissonance, not reduce it. The other three strategies (changing the importance of dissonant thoughts, adding consonant thoughts, changing your behavior) are ways to reduce cognitive dissonance.

Question 19

Which of the following underlies attempts to convince ourselves that we have done the right thing,such as creating stories that change one's spouse's faults into virtues?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance refers to the discomfort or tension that arises when there is a discrepancy between our beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors. In this case, the attempt to create stories that change one's spouse's faults into virtues is an example of reducing cognitive dissonance by convincing oneself that they have made the right choice in choosing their spouse.

Question 20

Once you've made a choice,it can be irksome to notice something positive about a rejected alternative,such as noticing the shirt you rejected has nicer buttons that the shirt you did buy.Thus,to minimize this cognitive dissonance resulting from buyer's regret,you must

Accepted Answer

To minimize cognitive dissonance resulting from buyer's regret, the best choice is to emphasize the positive aspects of what you chose and downgrade the other alternatives. This is a common strategy to rationalize one's decision and reduce regret.

Quiz 16: B: Social Thinking and Social Influence