Revisiting Cognitive Dissonance: A Closer Look at the Core Assumptions of a Classic Theory
Abstract
Cognitive dissonance is a well-established and highly cited psychological theory. However, many of its basic assumptions have come under recent criticism concerning methodological design, variable manipulation, and measurement of dissonance as a unique psychological phenomenon distinct from general negative affect. A within-subjects design compared measures of dissonance-related affect at baseline to the same affect measures across varying magnitudes of belief-behaviour inconsistency via a counter-attitudinal task. The study also measured belief change in response to dissonance conditions and explored relationships between dissonance experience and individual difference variables (extraversion, religiosity, and political orientation). Results did not support an increase of dissonance relative to baseline, nor change in belief following dissonance induction. Additionally, dissonance was unrelated to religiosity and extraversion, but associated negatively with conservative political orientation. Findings suggest alternative motivations other than psychological discomfort or negative affect for belief change in classic dissonance paradigms.