Chaper.6 : The Need to Justify Our Actions
6.1 : What is cognitive dissonance, and how do people avoid
dissonance to maintain a positive self-image ?
The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance
- Most powerful determinants of human behavior stems from our need to preserve a stable, positive self-
image
When Cognitions Conflict
- Cognitive Dissonance : discomfort that people feel when two beliefs, attitudes conflict, or when they
behave in ways that are inconsistent with their conception of themselves .
o In response, we try to reduce it.
o The three ways to reduce it are :
▪ Changing our behavior to be in line with the dissonant cognition.
▪ Attempting to justify our behavior through changing dissonant cognition.
▪ Attempting to justify our behavior by adding cognitions.
• Self-Affirmation : a way of reducing dissonance by reminding oneself of one or
more of positive attributes.
- Understanding dissonance explains why human thinking is rationalizing.
o People that are reducing dissonance are involved in convincing themselves they are right that
they end up behaving irrationally.
o Once we are committed to our views, information is distorted to confirm them.
- Silly argument that supports our positions arouses dissonance because it raises doubts.
- Sensible argument on the other side also arouses dissonance because it raises possibility other side is
correct.
o People remember plausible argument agreeing with their positions and implausible argument
with the opposition.
- WHY WE OVERESTIMATE THE PAIN OF DISAPPOINTMENT : Process of reducing dissonance is
unconscious.
o When people think about how they will react to future negative events, they show an impact bias.
▪ Impact Bias : tendency to overestimate the intensity and duration of one’s emotional
reactions to future negative events.
• They fail to realize that dissonance reduction will save them.
, Dissonance and the Self-Concept
- People with highest self-esteem feel greatest dissonance after doing something out of their cognitions.
o They experience most dissonance when they behave in ways that are contrary to their high
opinion of themselves, and they will work harder to reduce it.
- To be affective, self-affirmation must be grounded in reality.
o The person has to focus on his or her actual strengths, positive values, and good qualities and then
strive to make them consonant with their actions.
Decisions, Decisions, Decision
- Every time we make a decision, we experience dissonance.
- DISTORTING OUR LIKES AND DISLIKES :
o In any decision, the chosen alternative is entirely positive and the rejected alternative is negative.
▪ Your cognition is dissonant with all negatives about the chosen thing and dissonant with
all positives about the rejected alternative. This is post-decision dissonance.
• Post-Decision Dissonance : dissonance aroused after making a decision typically
reduced by enhancing attractiveness of the chosen alternative and devaluating
rejected alternative.
▪ Following a decision, we reduce dissonance to make ourselves feel better about our
choice.
- THE PERMANENCE OF THE DECISION : The more important the decision, the greater the dissonance.
o When you have the ability to exchange your decision, it makes you feel less happier about the
decision you chose.
- CREATING THE ILLUSION OF IRREVOCABILITY : The irrevocability of a decision increases
dissonance and then motivation to reduce it.
o Lowballing : strategy whereby a salesperson induces a customer to a agree to purchase a product
at a low cost, subsequently claims it was an error, and then raises price; frequently, customer will
agree to make purchase at inflated price.
▪ Reasons it works :
• The decision to buy is reversible, but a commitment exists.
• Feeling of commitment triggered anticipation of an exciting event.
• Final price is higher than though it would be, but it is probably only higher than
price at another dealership.
▪ By using dissonance reduction and illusion of irrevocability, salespeople increase
probability that someone buys product.
- THE DECISION TO BEHAVE IMMORALLY : Our choices involve moral and ethical issues.
o How people reduce dissonance following a difficult moral decision has implication for whether
they behave more or less ethically in the future.
o Whether you act immorally or not, the threat to your self-esteem arouses dissonance.
▪ If you decide to act immorally, you’d try to justify action by trying to minimize its
negative aspects.
• Which is a change of your system of values.
▪ Once you make a decision, you are going to justify to reduce dissonance and that
justification makes it hard to change your mind.
6.1 : What is cognitive dissonance, and how do people avoid
dissonance to maintain a positive self-image ?
The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance
- Most powerful determinants of human behavior stems from our need to preserve a stable, positive self-
image
When Cognitions Conflict
- Cognitive Dissonance : discomfort that people feel when two beliefs, attitudes conflict, or when they
behave in ways that are inconsistent with their conception of themselves .
o In response, we try to reduce it.
o The three ways to reduce it are :
▪ Changing our behavior to be in line with the dissonant cognition.
▪ Attempting to justify our behavior through changing dissonant cognition.
▪ Attempting to justify our behavior by adding cognitions.
• Self-Affirmation : a way of reducing dissonance by reminding oneself of one or
more of positive attributes.
- Understanding dissonance explains why human thinking is rationalizing.
o People that are reducing dissonance are involved in convincing themselves they are right that
they end up behaving irrationally.
o Once we are committed to our views, information is distorted to confirm them.
- Silly argument that supports our positions arouses dissonance because it raises doubts.
- Sensible argument on the other side also arouses dissonance because it raises possibility other side is
correct.
o People remember plausible argument agreeing with their positions and implausible argument
with the opposition.
- WHY WE OVERESTIMATE THE PAIN OF DISAPPOINTMENT : Process of reducing dissonance is
unconscious.
o When people think about how they will react to future negative events, they show an impact bias.
▪ Impact Bias : tendency to overestimate the intensity and duration of one’s emotional
reactions to future negative events.
• They fail to realize that dissonance reduction will save them.
, Dissonance and the Self-Concept
- People with highest self-esteem feel greatest dissonance after doing something out of their cognitions.
o They experience most dissonance when they behave in ways that are contrary to their high
opinion of themselves, and they will work harder to reduce it.
- To be affective, self-affirmation must be grounded in reality.
o The person has to focus on his or her actual strengths, positive values, and good qualities and then
strive to make them consonant with their actions.
Decisions, Decisions, Decision
- Every time we make a decision, we experience dissonance.
- DISTORTING OUR LIKES AND DISLIKES :
o In any decision, the chosen alternative is entirely positive and the rejected alternative is negative.
▪ Your cognition is dissonant with all negatives about the chosen thing and dissonant with
all positives about the rejected alternative. This is post-decision dissonance.
• Post-Decision Dissonance : dissonance aroused after making a decision typically
reduced by enhancing attractiveness of the chosen alternative and devaluating
rejected alternative.
▪ Following a decision, we reduce dissonance to make ourselves feel better about our
choice.
- THE PERMANENCE OF THE DECISION : The more important the decision, the greater the dissonance.
o When you have the ability to exchange your decision, it makes you feel less happier about the
decision you chose.
- CREATING THE ILLUSION OF IRREVOCABILITY : The irrevocability of a decision increases
dissonance and then motivation to reduce it.
o Lowballing : strategy whereby a salesperson induces a customer to a agree to purchase a product
at a low cost, subsequently claims it was an error, and then raises price; frequently, customer will
agree to make purchase at inflated price.
▪ Reasons it works :
• The decision to buy is reversible, but a commitment exists.
• Feeling of commitment triggered anticipation of an exciting event.
• Final price is higher than though it would be, but it is probably only higher than
price at another dealership.
▪ By using dissonance reduction and illusion of irrevocability, salespeople increase
probability that someone buys product.
- THE DECISION TO BEHAVE IMMORALLY : Our choices involve moral and ethical issues.
o How people reduce dissonance following a difficult moral decision has implication for whether
they behave more or less ethically in the future.
o Whether you act immorally or not, the threat to your self-esteem arouses dissonance.
▪ If you decide to act immorally, you’d try to justify action by trying to minimize its
negative aspects.
• Which is a change of your system of values.
▪ Once you make a decision, you are going to justify to reduce dissonance and that
justification makes it hard to change your mind.
