Lecture 13 - Festinger Flashcards
Where was Leon Festinger born, and what were his parents’ origins?
Festinger was born in Brooklyn, NY, on May 8, 1919, to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents.
What degrees did Leon Festinger earn, and where did he complete his PhD?
Festinger earned a BSc in Psychology from City College of New York, an MA from the University of Iowa, and a PhD in child behavior from the University of Iowa.
What social psychology theories did Festinger contribute to?
Festinger is most famous for developing Social Comparison Theory and Cognitive Dissonance Theory.
What is Cognitive Dissonance?
Cognitive dissonance occurs when an individual holds conflicting cognitions, creating a motivational state that is aversive and leads to efforts to reduce the conflict.
What are some strategies to reduce cognitive dissonance?
Strategies include adding consonant cognitions, subtracting dissonant cognitions, changing attitudes or behavior, or avoiding dissonant cognitions.
How does Festinger’s Cognitive Dissonance Theory compare to Balance Theory and Learning Theory?
Unlike Balance Theory, which doesn’t predict which element will change, and Learning Theory, which focuses on reinforcement, Cognitive Dissonance Theory emphasizes the tension created by conflicting cognitions and the motivation to resolve it.
What was the key hypothesis in “When Prophecy Fails”?
Festinger hypothesized that when the prophecy failed, the group would hold onto their belief, and proselytize to recruit others to reduce the dissonance between the belief in the prophecy and the reality of its failure.
How did Festinger and his team observe the Seekers in the “When Prophecy Fails” study?
They infiltrated the group through participant observation, pretending to be new converts to study their reactions to the failed prophecy.
What was the behavior of the Seekers after the prophecy failed?
The Seekers recruited new members and tried to generate public interest by contacting newspapers. This effort helped them reduce dissonance temporarily, but the group eventually disbanded when recruitment failed.
What was the goal of Festinger’s Induced Compliance Study?
The goal was to provide experimental evidence for cognitive dissonance theory by examining what happens when people engage in behaviors that contradict their attitudes.
What were the hypotheses in the Induced Compliance Study?
1) When behavior contradicts attitudes, the attitude will change.
2) The extent of attitude change depends on whether the behavior-based cognition can be explained by other factors (like external incentives).
Describe the experimental procedure of the Induced Compliance Study.
Participants performed a boring task, then told the next participant that it was enjoyable. They were offered either a low reward ($1) or a high reward ($20) for this lie.
What were the results of Festinger’s Induced Compliance Study?
Participants who received a low reward ($1) changed their attitude to believe the task was more fun, while those in the high reward ($20) condition showed little attitude change. This supports the idea that lower external incentives lead to greater attitude change.
What did the study by Hardyck & Braden (1962) suggest about cognitive dissonance in cults?
The study showed that people in a cult who experienced a failed prophecy reduced dissonance by changing the meaning of the prophecy, but did not engage in proselytizing, suggesting that different social contexts might influence how dissonance is managed.
How has follow-up research supported Festinger’s idea of dissonance as a drive-like state?
Physiological changes (e.g., EEG, SCR) and psychological discomfort can be measured during counter-attitudinal statements, supporting the idea that dissonance is a physiological and psychological response.
What are the necessary conditions for attitude change following counter-attitudinal behavior?
1) People must believe they had a choice to engage in the behavior.
2) The behavior must have consequences.
How has the theory of cognitive dissonance evolved over time?
Cognitive dissonance has evolved to include a focus on the consequences of behaviors, self-esteem threats, and responsibility for undesirable outcomes as key factors in producing dissonance.
What was the “one-two punch” that made cognitive dissonance a dominant theory in social psychology?
The combination of “When Prophecy Fails” and the Induced Compliance Study propelled cognitive dissonance theory into the forefront of social psychology, making it highly influential.
How is cognitive dissonance applied in therapy and education?
Cognitive dissonance has been applied to understand effort justification (e.g., hazing rituals), post-decision dissonance (e.g., enhancing satisfaction with purchases), and punishment (e.g., mild punishment being more effective than harsh punishment).
How did Festinger feel about the evolution of cognitive dissonance theory by its 30th anniversary?
Festinger was pleased that the theory was undergoing change and development, as all good theories should evolve to reflect new evidence and understanding.
