Recall that in one study (Festinger and Carlsmith,1959),the experimenter showed children a set of five toys and asked them how much they liked each one.Then the experimenter told each child that he or she was free to play with any of the toys except for the child's second favorite toy.In the "mild threat" condition,children were told that the experimenter would be "annoyed" if they played with the forbidden toy.In the "severe threat" condition,children were told that the experimenter would be "very angry" if they played with the forbidden toy,and that the child would never see any of the toys ever again.The experimenter then left the room,and each child was covertly observed.Later on,the experimenter asked each child to reevaluate the toys.Consistent with cognitive dissonance theory,the results showed that children in the
A) "mild threat" condition tended to view the toy less favorably than children in the "severe threat" condition.
B) "severe threat" condition tended to view the toy less favorably than children in the "mild threat" condition.
C) "mild threat" condition were less likely to play with the toy while the experimenter was away from the room.
D) "severe threat" condition were less likely to play with the toy while the experimenter was away from the room.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Children in the "mild threat" condition devalued the forbidden toy more than those in the "severe threat" condition, which aligns with cognitive dissonance theory. This theory suggests that when external justification (severe threat) for not engaging in a desired behavior is strong, individuals feel less internal conflict and thus less need to change their attitudes. Conversely, when external justification is weaker (mild threat), individuals experience more dissonance and are more likely to devalue the forbidden option to resolve the conflict.

Recall That in One Study (Festinger and Carlsmith,1959),the Experimenter Showed