Traditional Persuasion Techniques Greater rewards lead to more responses B) Greater punishment leads to less response

1. Traditional Persuasion Techniques • Greater rewards lead to more responses • B) Greater punishment leads to less responses • C) Use of "credible" sources (experts, authority figures) • D) Use of conformity paradigms (e.g., Asch, Sherif)

2. Some Weaknesses of Traditional • Persuasion Approaches • Effects not very strong • B) Short-term effects • C) Limited to less important issues

3. Leon Festinger THEORY OF COGNITIVE DISSONANCE (1957) BASIC HYPOTHESIS The existence of dissonance, being psychologically uncomfortable, will motivate the person to try and reduce the dissonance and achieve consonance Behavior inconsistent with the attitude Creation of dissonance Attitude

4. Attitude: “I’m not going to smoke cigarettes anymore”) Behavior: Smoke cigarettes • Some Options • 1) Change behavior(e.g., Throw pack away) • Change cognitions(e.g., “Smoking isn’t all that bad”; “I don’t really smoke that much”) • 3) Add supporting cognitions(e.g., “ Smoking relaxes me”“it helps me think better”

5. COGNITIVE DISSONANCE FESTINGER & CARLSMITH (1$ - $20 Study) Asked to tell participant that the task was interesting Perform boring task $1 Rate task $20 • Which group rated the task as more interesting after lying, • those paid $1 or $20? Key is lack of sufficient external justification for one’s behavior

6. ATTITUDES REGARDING MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION Original belief = “No” Asked to give speech opposite of their attitude (for legalization) Small fee to write pro legalization Large fee to write pro legalization More positive views of legalization

7. “TOY” STUDY Children rate desirability of toys Told not to play with the most desirable toy MILD THREAT SEVERE THREAT Children did not play with the desired toy Children rate the desirability of the toys a 2nd time after not playing with the desired Which group viewed the desirable toy most attractive?

8. Results of Forbidden Toy Study

9. Hypocrisy Paradigm HypocrisyGroup: Made a list of the times they found it difficult or impossible to use condoms Applied Example: Reducing road rage – awareness of one’s own mistake while driving (e.g., cutting someone off )

10. Effort Justification [The tendency for individuals to increase their liking for something they have worked hard to attain] STUDY: College students volunteered to join a group that would be meeting regularly to discuss various aspects of the psychology of sex. Different levels of initiation used: 1) Severe, 2) Mild, 3) No Initiation. Applied Examples: Military, Fraterities/Sororities (hazing) .....

11. ~ Ben Franklin Effect ~ [When we dislike someone, if we do them a favor, we will like them more] Why? – Behavior is dissonant with attitude – Change attitude about person to resolve dissonance Justification of Kindness Asked to donate $$ won to help experimenter continue research

12. Dissonance Reduction and Personal Values • Measured 6th graders attitudes about cheating • Gave opportunity to cheat in a game • Easy to cheat • Cheating almost necessary to win • Believed cheating could not be detected • Some cheat, some do not cheat • Next day --- • Those who cheated were more lenient toward cheating (e.g., “everyone does it,”“it’s not so bad” • Those who did not cheat, were more extreme in their views against cheating (“Could have got a better grade but cheating is very wrong/not moral; cheating is awful to do”)

13. Post-Decision Dissonance • Every time we make a decision, we experience dissonance • Chosen alternative has some negative aspects • Rejected alternative has some positive aspects Dissonance is aroused after making a decision This dissonance is often reduced by: 1)Enhancing the attractiveness of the chosen alternative (& reduce negative aspects) 2) Devaluating the rejected alternatives (& downplay positive aspects Example(s)?

14. Role of Decision Permanence (Irrevocability) Take pictures and print 2 of them (those interested in learning about photography while participating in psychology study) Could exchange photographs within 5 days Decision regarding photographs was final Liked their final decision less Predictions were wrong too! Students predicted that they’d be happier if they could keep their options open regarding the photographs

15. More Cognitive Dissonance Occurs When: • Choice is involved • 2) Commitment has been made • 3) Individuals are responsible for any consequences of their behavior (and if the consequences could be anticipated) • 4) Negative consequences are believed to be likely to occur • One’s self-concept is involved • Important decisions • 7) Permanent decisions (e.g., “all sales are final”)

16. SELF-PERCEPTION THEORY DARYL BEM Internal States (e.g., “So-called “private” stimuli, physiological) “Gross” evaluation (e.g., “I feel happy”; “I feel sad” Use of external social cues for precise discriminations (e.g., other people’s behavior or one’s own actions, statements, thoughts) Attitudes formed

17. SELF-PERCEPTION STUDY Attutude survey (on environmental issues Behavioral survey (what people actually did about environmental issues Attitude survey (on environmental issues WEAK STRONG Those with weak initial environmental attitudes had their attitudes affected by their responses to the behavior questionnaire