Ch3 Self Justification Flashcards
self-justification
the tendency to justify one’s actions in order to maintain one’s self-esteem
cognitive dissonance
a state of tension that occurs whenever an individual simultaneously holds two cognitions (ideas, attitudes, beliefs, opinions) that are psychologically inconsistent
lowballing
an unscrupulous strategy in which a customer agrees to purchase a product at a very low cost, after which the salesperson claims that price was an error and then raises the price, betting that the customer will agree to make the purchase at the inflated price, which he or she often does
entrapment
the process by which people make a small decision, justify it, and over time find themselves increasingly committed to a belief or activity
foot-in-the-door technique
the process of using small favors to encourage people to accede to larger requests
external justification
a person’s justification for his or her dissonant behavior that is situationdetermined
internal justification
the reduction of dissonance by changing something about oneself (e.g., one’s attitude or behavior) in the direction of one’s statements
justification of effort
when a person goes through a difficult or painful experience in order to attain some goal or object, thus making that goal or object more attractive
dehumanize
the process of seeing victims as nonhumans, which lowers inhibitions against aggressive actions, and also makes continued aggression easier and more likely
Hypocrisy Induction
– Inducing dissonance by having individuals make statements counter to their behaviors
Post-decision dissonance
Making a decision produces dissonance.
Post-decision, ratings higher for chosen appliance, lower for rejected appliance
Irrevocability dissonance
• Irrevocability induces greater post-decision dissonance
