The document discusses cognitive consistency theories, emphasizing how individuals strive to maintain harmony among their beliefs and attitudes, which can be disrupted by inconsistency or dissonance. It highlights various studies, such as Sherman & Gorkin's, illustrating how psychological discomfort can impact decision-making and attitudes in contexts like feminism and social issues. Additionally, it addresses limitations of existing models and the influence of external factors on maintaining or changing attitudes.

1. the0rie
s
Humans as cognitive
creatures

2. ¢sgnitisns “asssciative
neaworks”
associative networks include
beliefs, attitudes, and other
cognitions
the associations are often
unconscious, implicit
changes in one belief or attitude
mayproduce a “ripple ePect”
elsewhere in one's cognitive
system

3. ThreeBasi
¢assumBtisnsot
csnsistencythe0rie
s
• People expect, prefer
consistency
•t• Individuals strive to maintain
psychological harmony among
their beliefs, attitudes, behaviors
Inconsistency causes
psychological discomfoL, tension
• “Dissonance” is
uncomfortable, may even
be accompanied by
physiological symptoms
• Individuals are
motivated torestore
cognitive consistency
•t• “Drive-reduction” model
•t• a form of face-saving,
identity
management Angelina Joile replaced her
‘Billy Bob" tattoo

4. • Sherman & Gorkin (1980) females who
scored high on a feminism scale tried to
solve a “sex-role” problem (which they were
set up to fail).
• A control group with similar scores on the
feminism scale completed a different task.
The failure of the treatment group to solve
theproblem induced a state of
psychological
inconsistency in the feminists.
• Both groups then read a transcript about a
sex discrimination case. Their task was
to decide who was wrong in the
case and make an award.
• What do you think happened?

5. ResultsstShermanxsorkin's
stuay:
• The feminists who experienced dissonance were
more Iiky
eI to find that sex discrimination had
occurred and gave much Ianer awards compared to
the control group.
• Why? Their decision helped to restore their self-
concept as feminists.
• Threats to one's self image lead to alempts to
bolster, reinforce, or reestablish the threatened
alitudes.

6. ReVision
s
00nsislen0ythe0riss
° More recently, consistency has also been viewed as
socially motivated
° the appearance of consistency matters to us
° Individuals can tolerate a ce8ain amount of
inconsistency ' especially if core beliefs, attitudes
aren't involved
' examples: Log Cabin Republicans, driving an SUV
but being pro-environment, being a vegetarian, but
wearing leather shoes
• In some cases, individuals may even strive to create
inconsistency
° example dysfunctional relationships

7. frinHeiaer’s“BaIancetheo
n”
The “granddaddy” of all consistency
theories The most basic, simple model
Involves three cognitive elements, P,O,X:
P: Person (perceiver, selt
0: Other person
X: AVitude object (thing,
event, action)

8. A child admires
Popeye
The child doesn't like to
eat spinach
Popeye is positively
associated with
Spinach
This is a cognitively
imbalanced state,
which should motivate
the child to change one
of the associations.

9. A female consumer is
thinkingof buying a new car
• She has a negative
attitudetoward high gas
prices
The Toyota Prius is
advertised
as a high mileage vehicle
° She forms a
favorable impression of the
Toyota Prius
female
consumer
hybrid car
high gas
pi'ices

10. Bsychslsgicalslates
bdœced (consìsîent) psychological sætøs
imbÆæcÆ (incon stent)
psyMoIo@cdstaæs

11. Limitali0nsot
Balan0ethe0w
" Model is incapable of handling more than
one triad at a time (not complex
psychological relationships)
Only one element of the triad is assumed
to change (not several elements)
No provision for the degree or strength of
the attitudes
No clear indication of how balance will be
restored (which element will change).
Heider states “the least effo8ful means” will
beemployed.

12. Theor¥ I0s9ood,
° Congruity theory also presumes that people
striveto maintain consistency among their
cognitions
• The theory is based upon the
“semantic diPerential” scale
• Congruity exists when a person holds
identical
attitudes toward a source and a topic
or issue.
• When incongruity exists, there is a
tendency to change
cognitions so as to achieve psychological
equilibrium
• When two or more attitudes are linked bt
an assertion

13. Allows for more than one attitude to
change
Allows for degrees of attitude
change
An accompanying formula allows for
precise predictions regarding the extent
and direction of attitude change
When incongruity exists, more extreme
attitudes are less susceptible to change
Congruity theory makes a number of
interesting, counterintuitive predictions

14. -3
-2
-
1
0
+1
+2
+3
Assume a person likes
both Hillary Clinton and
Barack Obama
The person perceives that
Barack made a
disparaging remark about
Hillary
A dissociative assertion
between two positive
attitude objects results in
the decreased evaluation of
both aLitude objects
Hillary
Barack
“mudslinging” hurts
both sources'
credibility

15. LimitatisnssfcsngruiWthe0w
" Model and formula only accounts
forone triad at a time.
Counterintuitive predictions
aren't always fulfilled in practice
The impo8ance and relevance of
the attitude(s) to the person is
ignored
There are other ways to achieve
congruity besides changing
evaluations of the sources or
objects

16. • Image-based advertising
the feelings and images
associated with a brand are
powerful purchase
influencers
• brands are associated
with favorable images and
idealizedlifestyles
• Public
information/awareness
CampaignS
• D.A.R.E. program
• Seat belts save lives
• Don't drink and drive
• Social movements
• P.E.T.A. (animal rights)
• Operation Rescue (pro-life)

17. restsring
Bsy¢hsI@i¢al¢onsięen¢y
denial
bolstdring
differentia
ti
“
favorable
attitude
transcendence
attitude
modificatio»
communication
f¥
órable
attitude

18. consumer guilt and environmentally,
socially
conscious products
Green stock funds
Fair trade coPee
Sweatshop free
goods
cause marketing
Partnering with a high profile cause or
a non-profit organization with whom
the public sympathizes
healthy labels
organic
anti-oxidants

19. inconsistencx
:
tsstering Brana-
switching
sloganeering
“Think different” (Macintosh)
Mac versus PC
• “Think outside the bun” (Yaco
Bell)
° “It's waaaay beler than fast
food” (Wendy's)
“Not your father's
Oldsmobile”(Oldsmobile)
• “I could have had a V8”

20. Bsy0h@0gi0aI
indansist
ency
Smoking prevetîòn pograms
tiy tr{ğrdo “glamorow
associations with smoking

21. Bsychêlogical
inconsislency
Cognitive Dissonance Theory
explains what happens when
an individual's beliefs,
attitudes, and/or behaviors
are incompatible
• The amount of
dissonance created
depends upon:
• How volitional the
decision is
• The importance or
consequences of the
decision
• The time, effort, or
sacrifice
involved in making the
y iit cppeaî on the bus french is
desiyn0d to
induce cognitive dissotiarice in patrons of ttiis
nudie-ba›

22. counter-attitudinal advocacy (CAA)
advocating a position that is contras to one
s own beliefs tends to shift one's attitudes
towardthe contrary position
commitment and cognitive
dissonance
public commitments
fraternity
initiations
marriage rituals
“true love waits”
program
commitments can “grow
(from Amat eur Tape)
Marine “blood-
pinning” ritual

23. • Free choice paradigm:
volitional behavior i
s m
o
r
e
likely t
o producedissonance
• the more free choice
one has in making a decision,
the moredissonance one will
experience.
• Belief disconfirmation:
dissonance is aroused when a
person encounters information
contrary tohis or her beliefs.
• people engage in
selective exposure to
avoid dissonantinformation
• induced comp/iance
paradigm:external
inducements, rewards reduce
dissonance
• When a person is
compelled todo something,
little dissonance is aroused
because the person can
rationalize the action by
Saying “I had no choice.”
• Effort justification.we
appreciate
things more when we work for
them
• The greater the
effort or sacrifice, the
greater thedissonance

24. Psych0l0gi0al
• Once people become
psychologically committed to an
idea their commitment may “grow
legs.”
• Michael Jackson fans: “This is a
very widespread phenomenon
where fans take a celebrity into
their hearts...and that celebrity
becomes almost bulletproof to the
fan,” (Paul Levinson, professor of
communication and media studies
at
Fordham University in New York)

25. Psych0lêgical
Campaign 08 and
P
.U.M.A.s(aka Paity Unity
My Ass) Some Hillay
Clinton fans
refused to support
Obamaafter he won the
thedemocratic
nomination
X0BŒ
t

26. Psych0l0gi0al
• Kimmy Cash founded
the “punx4dean”
Website
• Her 35*h tattoo read
Dean
Hope Truth 04”
• After Howard Dean dropped
out of the presidential race,
she declared on her Website:
• “we have been through
entirely too much in this
campaign to quit now. Punks
don't give up...Do
not let this discourage you”
A tattot› hunt›riiig a presidential
di op-out