Basic Research Methods
What is the difference between a hypothesis and a theory?
A hypothesis is more specific and a theory is concerned with why something is happening.
Dissonance serves as a:
Psychological immune system
In order to justify bad behaviors towards others
We convince ourselves that they are bad
Is self-persuasion long lasting
Yes
Social tuning
unconsciously aligning one's beliefs with those of others
Do attitudes predict behaviors?
Yes sometimes but they are not perfect indicators.
Divergent attitudes
Same initial attitudes + different behaviors
post decision dissonance
the psychological discomfort that occurs after making a difficult decision
Cognitive dissonance reduction
changing beliefs, adding new beliefs, or reducing the importance of beliefs
The goal of subliminal messaging
to subtly affect people without them being aware of it
Does specificity matter with attitudes?
Yes
Dissonance occurs:
Automatically
Self-perception theory
a theory that people learn about their attitudes and behaviors by observing themselves
Dissonance in action
when a person's actions contradict their values or beliefs, causing them to feel discomfort
Advertising heavily relies on emotions to
connect with consumers, creating a deeper connection to a product or brand by evoking positive feelings like happiness, nostalgia, or inspiration, which can ultimately influence purchase decisions and build brand loyalty
What is cognitive dissonance?
Discomfort caused by holding two or more inconsistent cognitions
When there is not enough external justification so we search for internal justification
Cognitive dissonance theory
A psychological theory that explains why people experience tension when their beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors conflict.
What is an attitude
a person's overall evaluation of something or someone
Persuasive appeals
Strategies that writers use to convince an audience to adopt a certain point of view
Cognitive dissonance is most aversive when
When we act in ways that are inconsistent with positive self-image
Insufficient punishment
When there is a lack of external justification
What creates the illusion of irrevocability?
Signing an agreement or check creates the illusion of irrevocability.
Subliminal advertising
marketing technique that uses hidden images or sounds to influence consumers' buying decisions
Yale attitude change approach
studies the factors that influence whether people are likely to change their attitudes in response to persuasive messages