Aronson and Mills (1959) performed an experiment in which college women were invited to join a discussion group about sex. In order to join the group, participants had to undergo either a severe initiation, a mild initiation, or no initiation. Which of the following best describes this study's findings? Women who underwent __________ initiation enjoyed the discussion the __________.
A) a mild; most
B) a severe; most
C) a severe; least
D) no; most

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Women who underwent a severe initiation reported enjoying the discussion the most, according to the findings of Aronson and Mills (1959). This phenomenon is explained by the effort justification aspect of cognitive dissonance theory, suggesting that people tend to assign greater value to outcomes for which they have had to make significant efforts or undergo discomfort.

Aronson and Mills (1959) Performed an Experiment in Which College