Recall that Aronson and his colleagues asked college students either to compose a persuasive message advocating the use of condoms or to compose and deliver their message in front of a video camera. In addition, half of the participants in each group were made mindful of the times that they didn't use condoms. After completing these tasks, participants were allowed to purchase condoms at a low price. Those students who made a video after being primed to think about their own condom use purchased the most condoms. What do the findings of this experiment demonstrate?
A) Before people will use condoms, they must experience dissonance.
B) Dissonance created by feelings of hypocrisy can change both attitudes and behaviors.
C) Although dissonance can bring about attitude change, behaviors are not affected.
D) In some conditions, fear and anxiety can actually encourage condom use.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The findings of this experiment demonstrate that dissonance created by feelings of hypocrisy can change both attitudes and behaviors. The participants who were made mindful of their own non-use of condoms faced dissonance between their beliefs (advocating for condom use) and their behaviors (not using condoms) and, as a result, were more likely to change their attitudes (purchasing more condoms) to match their behaviors.

Recall That Aronson and His Colleagues Asked College Students Either