Schedule for Today

1. Schedule for Today • Discussion – Cognitive Constancy Theories • Presentation – Social Norm Theory • Discussion – Social Norm Theory

2. Cognitive Constancy Theories • Cognitive Dissonance • Balance Theory • Congruity Theory • Rokeach’s Value Theory

3. Cognitive Dissonance Theory • Based on the belief that we have a drive for lack of cognitive dissonance. • In other words, we want consistency between our beliefs and our actions. • We also want consistency between our beliefs.

4. Questions • How is cognitive dissonance theory related to communication theory. • What is the difference between selective exposure, post-decision dissonance, minimal justification.

5. We seek to avoid dissonance • Surround ourselves with people of the same attitudes. • Selective exposure to information that supports our beliefs.

6. What if we can’t avoid it? • If we have psychological inconsistency involving behavior, we either have to change our attitude or our behavior. • Change will occur in whichever has the weakest resistance to change.

7. What if we can’t avoid it? • If we have psychological inconsistency involving cognitions, we either have to change our attitude or change the weight of one of the cognitions. • We can trivialize or minimize the transgression (only if we have high self-esteem)

8. Post-decision Reassurance • Dissonance occurs after we have invested a resource (such as time or money) on something. • We worry about whether that was the right choice (dissonance) so we either seek justification from friends or within ourselves (we rationalize).

9. Minimal Justification • The classic 1$ versus $20 experiment. • Offering minimal justification for engaging in a behavior that the person may not do otherwise results in dissonance and a need for another method (rather than reward) for eliminating the dissonance.

10. How does this pertain to us? • We can create dissonance to induce a behavior shift (but that does not ensure an attitude shift)

11. Other Options • We can become a credible person in a person’s life and suggest incremental change • How does this relate to Social Judgment Theory?

12. Questions • What kind of change will happen if there's conflict. Is there any research relating to it? • Who is the real originator of this theory?

13. Conflict? • Dissonance is internal conflict • Balance theory, congruity theory both deal with conflict between your beliefs and actions and those of someone significant in your life.

14. Who Originated • Many members of the scientific community • Lewin – force theory • Heider – balance theory • ?? – Congruity theory • Rokeach – Value Theory • Festinger – Cognitive Dissonance Theory

15. Other theories • Balance theory • Congruity Theory • Rokeach’s Value Theory

16. Heider’s Balance Theory • Balance another word for consistency – if I like someone, I want things to be in balance. • So if we disagree on political candidates, what are the options?

17. Options • I have to decide that I don’t like the person as much, or . . . • I have to decide I like the political candidate a bit better, or . . . • I have to trivialize politics to minimize (rather than eliminate) the dissonance, or . . . • I will continue to have cognitive dissonance.

18. Congruity Theory • Same as balance except that movement can be 2-way. • I like someone but he makes a statement I disagree with – I modify both sides to create congruity.

19. Rokeach’s Value Theory • People are driven by values • To act inconsistent with values is to attack self-identity, and is intolerable. • Dissatisfaction with self is motivation to change. • Note that dissatisfaction with self is cognitive dissonance.

20. How can we use these theories? • Highlight incongruities, inconsistencies, imbalances a person has – in other words, don’t allow the person to trivialize or to eliminate from thoughts. • Create the potential for dissonance or incongruence.

21. Social Norms • Presentation

22. What to take out of Social Norms • Injunctive norms – what most people approve or disapprove of.

23. Descriptive norms – what most people do

24. Only have impact when activated. • It just means that you have to remind someone, either with a sign, verbally or by role modeling.

25. Social Norms • What most people think or do

26. Subjective norms • What those important to you think or do.

27. Personal Norms • What you think or do.

28. So how do we use? • If we want to change behavior, activate a norm. • However, only going to be most effective at that moment because norm will become inactive. • Which are the best norms to activate?

29. Relationship to Cognitive Dissonance? • Dissonance is created when we violate our personal norms or when subjective norms are not consistent with ours.