Cognitive dissonance Leon Festinger

festinger s seminal 1957 work integrated existing research literature on influence , social communication under theory of cognitive dissonance. theory motivated study of rumors following severe earthquake in india in 1934. among people felt shock sustained no damage earthquake, rumors circulated , accepted worse disasters come. although seemingly counter-intuitive people choose believe fear-provoking rumors, festinger reasoned these rumors fear-justifying. rumors functioned reduce inconsistency of people s feelings of fear despite not directly experiencing effects of earthquake giving people reason fearful.

festinger described basic hypotheses of cognitive dissonance follows:

1. existence of dissonance [or inconsistency], being psychologically uncomfortable, motivate person try reduce dissonance , achieve consonance [or consistency].
2. when dissonance present, in addition trying reduce it, person actively avoid situations , information increase dissonance.

dissonance reduction can achieved changing cognition changing actions, or selectively acquiring new information or opinions. use festinger s example of smoker has knowledge smoking bad health, smoker may reduce dissonance choosing quit smoking, changing thoughts effects of smoking (e.g., smoking not bad health others claim), or acquiring knowledge pointing positive effects of smoking (e.g., smoking prevents weight gain).

festinger , james m. carlsmith published classic cognitive dissonance experiment in 1959. in experiment, subjects asked perform hour of boring , monotonous tasks (i.e., repeatedly filling , emptying tray 12 spools , turning 48 square pegs in board clockwise). subjects, led believe participation in experiment had concluded, asked perform favor experimenter telling next participant, confederate, task extremely enjoyable. dissonance created subjects performing favor, task in fact boring. half of paid subjects given $1 favor, while other half of paid subjects received $20. predicted festinger , carlsmith, paid $1 reported task more enjoyable paid $20. paid $1 forced reduce dissonance changing opinions of task produce consonance behavior of reporting task enjoyable. subjects paid $20 experienced less dissonance, large payment provided consonance behavior; therefore rated task less enjoyable , ratings similar not asked perform dissonance-causing favor.