Zach worked for an IT company making $50 an hour when he made a lateral career change and began working for a different company.After his departure,there was a strike at his old workplace and everyone got a pay raise.Mac took Zach's place after the strike and ended up making $100 an hour for doing the same work.If Zach and Mac are each asked how much they like their jobs at each of their companies,what would cognitive dissonance theory predict they will say?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to cognitive dissonance theory, when individuals experience a discrepancy between their beliefs/attitudes and their behaviors, they will experience discomfort and seek to resolve the inconsistency. In this scenario, Zach may experience dissonance because he left his job before the pay raise and may feel that he missed out on a better opportunity. To reduce this discomfort, he may rate his job at his new company as better than Mac's job at their old company. On the other hand, Mac may experience dissonance because he is doing the same job as Zach but getting paid twice as much. To reduce this discomfort, he may rate his job as not as good as Zach's job at his new company to justify why he is not making as much money. Therefore, option C is the best choice.

Zach Worked for an IT Company Making $50 an Hour