Which of the following was a finding in the classic study by Festinger and Carlsmith (1959)?
A) Those who got $1 to perform a boring task said the task was more interesting than did those who got $20.
B) Those who got $20 to perform a boring task said the task was more interesting than did those who got $1.
C) Paid groups said the task was less boring than did nonpaid groups.
D) Women performed the tasks for less money than men.

Question

Which of the following was a finding in the classic study by Festinger and Carlsmith (1959)? 
A) Those who got $1 to perform a boring task said the task was more interesting than did those who got $20.
B) Those who got $20 to perform a boring task said the task was more interesting than did those who got $1.
C) Paid groups said the task was less boring than did nonpaid groups.
D) Women performed the tasks for less money than men.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Festinger and Carlsmith's (1959) study on cognitive dissonance found that participants who were paid $1 to lie about a boring task found the task more interesting than those who were paid $20. This is because those paid less experienced more cognitive dissonance and thus had to convince themselves the task was more interesting to justify their actions.

Which of the Following Was a Finding in the Classic