Question 1

In light of the research on cognitive dissonance theory, what is the BEST explanation for the role of large, expensive marriage ceremonies?
A)Such ceremonies probably strengthen partners' commitment due to effort justification but do not contribute to specific marriage-consistent behaviours.
B)Such ceremonies probably discourage specific marriage-inconsistent behaviours such as cheating due to the involvement of friends and family but do not contribute to overall commitment.
C)Such ceremonies probably strengthen partners' commitment due to effort justification AND probably discourage marriage-inconsistent behaviours such as cheating due to the involvement of friends and family.
D)Such ceremonies probably DO NOT strengthen partners' commitment due to effort justification and probably DO NOT discourage marriage-inconsistent behaviours such as cheating due to the involvement of friends and family.

Accepted Answer

According to cognitive dissonance theory, people tend to justify the effort and expense they put into a decision or behaviour, including their marriage ceremony. Therefore, having a large, expensive marriage ceremony may increase the commitment of the partners due to the effort they have put into the event. Additionally, the involvement of friends and family in the ceremony may discourage marriage-inconsistent behaviours such as cheating, as the couple is more accountable to the people who witnessed their commitment. Therefore, option C is the best explanation.

Question 2

Suppose that Mbali - who volunteers for a variety of environmental causes and frequently speaks on campus about the importance of recycling - decided to buy a big car with high petrol consumption last week.When is she most likely to try to rationalise her behaviour?
A)If no one she knows owns the same vehicle
B)If many people she knows own the same vehicle
C)If she did not know about the car's poor mileage when she bought it
D)If she experiences guilt or discomfort surrounding her purchase

Accepted Answer

Mbali is likely to try to rationalize her behavior if she experiences guilt or discomfort surrounding her purchase. This is known as cognitive dissonance, where a person's beliefs and actions are in conflict. In this case, Mbali's belief in the importance of recycling and reducing one's carbon footprint conflicts with her action of purchasing a car with high petrol consumption. To reduce the discomfort caused by this cognitive dissonance, she may try to rationalize her behavior.

Question 3

Which of the following best describes behavioural aggregation as a solution to the problem of attitude-behaviour inconsistency?
A)Measure the specific attitude toward the specific behaviour you want to predict.
B)Make sure the general attitude is considered in context of the behaviour you want to predict.
C)Measure a variety of types of behaviours to which the general attitude could relate.
D)Increase the accessibility of the attitude.

Accepted Answer

Behavioural aggregation involves measuring a variety of types of behaviours to which the general attitude could relate. This helps to capture the overall consistency between attitudes and behaviours, as well as the variability that may exist across specific behaviours. A single instance of behaviour may not always reflect an individual's attitude accurately, but by looking at multiple instances, a clearer picture can emerge. Therefore, choice C is the best fit for the solution of attitude-behaviour inconsistency.

Question 4

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings are 'self-help' meetings comprised of people who are recovering from alcohol-related problems.These meetings employ a number of practices designed to keep people away from alcohol.Which of the practices listed below is most consistent with the research on cognitive dissonance theory and attitude change? That is, which of the following would a cognitive dissonance theorist be most likely to applaud?
A)All group members remain anonymous.
B)All group members state, publicly, that they have an alcohol problem.
C)Group members are encouraged to seek out a 'sponsor,' who will support them during rough times.
D)Group members are welcomed back into the group even if they temporarily 'fall off the wagon' (lapse into drinking).

Accepted Answer

According to cognitive dissonance theory, when individuals publicly state that they have a problem (in this case, an alcohol problem), they are more likely to feel a sense of dissonance or discomfort if they act in a way that contradicts that statement (such as drinking). This discomfort can then motivate them to change their behavior to align with their stated attitude or belief. Therefore, a cognitive dissonance theorist would be most likely to applaud the practice of all group members publicly stating that they have an alcohol problem as it could create cognitive dissonance and potentially lead to attitude change and behavior change.

Question 5

Which term refers to the idea that while attitudes and behaviour may not match in a single instance, they will tend to match up over a number of instances?
A)effort justification
B)behavioural aggregation
C)broad attitude in context
D)attitude accessibility

Accepted Answer

This concept is known as behavioral aggregation, which suggests that attitudes and behavior are more likely to align over a series of actions or events rather than in a single occurrence.

Question 6

Mlibo is a vegetarian, but she ate a steak last night.When would she be MOST likely to try to rationalise her steak-eating?
A)If she was forced to eat the steak against her will
B)If she was paid a lot of money to eat the steak
C)If she chose to eat the steak and she feels guilty or nervous - regardless of whether she attributes these feelings to the steak-eating
D)If she chose to eat the steak and feels guilty or nervous, AND attributes these feelings to the steak-eating

Accepted Answer

If Mlibo chose to eat the steak and feels guilty or nervous, AND attributes these feelings to the steak-eating, she would be most likely to try to rationalize her steak-eating behavior. This is because cognitive dissonance theory predicts that people experience psychological discomfort when their behaviors conflict with their beliefs or values. In this case, Mlibo's belief that she is a vegetarian conflicts with her behavior of eating meat. To reduce this discomfort, she may try to rationalize her behavior by finding justifications for why it was okay to eat the steak.

Question 7

Suppose that Aniya sold one of her stocks last week and that the value of the stock has tripled since then.What a mistake! In which of the following cases is Aniya MOST likely to experience cognitive dissonance?
A)If she chose to sell the stock against her stockbroker's advice
B)If she chose to sell the stock because her friend suggested it
C)If she chose to sell the stock because her stockbroker suggested it
D)If she was on vacation last week and it was her husband who decided to sell the stock for her

Accepted Answer

Aniya is most likely to experience cognitive dissonance if she sold the stock against her stockbroker's advice, as she would feel a conflict between her decision and the expert advice she ignored.

Question 8

Deepa has finally decided where to attend university for her post-graduate studies: the University of the Witwatersrand.After she has informed all the schools of her final decision, she begins to question her choice.However, she immediately focuses on all the reasons that Wits was the best choice for her, and better than her other options by far.This reassures her and makes her happy again.Deepa's feeling of uncertainty and subsequent motivation to justify her choice is an example of ____.
A)attributional regret
B)post-decision dissonance
C)tyranny of choice
D)attitude accessibility

Accepted Answer

Deepa's feeling of uncertainty and subsequent motivation to justify her choice is an example of post-decision dissonance, which is the discomfort and tension experienced after making a decision between two or more options, and could lead to questioning and justifying the choice made.

Question 9

In terms of how it is experienced, cognitive dissonance MOST closely resembles ____.
A)an emotion or feeling of arousal
B)a gap in memory
C)an eerie feeling akin to déjà vu, clairvoyance, or communicating with ghosts
D)intense cognitive focus (i.e., being 'in the zone')

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance is a psychological discomfort that arises when a person holds two or more inconsistent beliefs, attitudes, or values. It is not a gap in memory, an eerie feeling, or intense cognitive focus. It is experienced as an emotion or feeling of arousal, which is best captured by choice A.

Question 10

George is supposed to give a presentation in his History class on Thursday, and has been dreading it intensely all month (his knowledge of the topic is shaky, and so is his presentation style).On Wednesday, the day before the presentation is scheduled, George's teacher, Ms Njuba, tells him that he can present the following week if he likes.Instead of taking Ms Njuba up on this offer, however, George says that he will go ahead and present the next day.Why?
A)George must have coped with his nervousness and dread by changing some relevant attitudes and beliefs.
B)George must have heard Ms Njuba incorrectly because of his anxiety; otherwise, he would obviously have postponed the presentation.
C)George must have coped with his nervousness and dread by simply blocking the presentation out of his mind completely and not thinking about it.
D)George must have low self-esteem; otherwise, he would have postponed the presentation.

Accepted Answer

George must have coped with his nervousness and dread by changing some relevant attitudes and beliefs. This is supported by the fact that despite being given the option to postpone the presentation, he chose to go ahead and present the next day. This suggests that he may have overcome his anxiety by building confidence and changing his mindset towards the presentation.

Question 11

According to the text, the drive for consistency is ____.
A)likely to be rooted in our biological nature
B)likely to involve the conscious mind only (and not the unconscious mind)
C)far more prevalent in collectivistic cultures than in individualistic cultures
D)far more prevalent in individualistic cultures than in collectivistic cultures

Accepted Answer

The text states that "the drive for consistency is rooted in our biological nature," indicating that it is likely innate and not necessarily influenced by cultural differences. Option B is incorrect as the text does not make any statement about whether the drive for consistency involves the conscious or unconscious mind. Options C and D are also incorrect as the text does not provide evidence for consistent cultural differences in the prevalence of the drive for consistency.

Question 12

Alex just bought a car last month and it is already having major mechanical problems.In which of the following cases is Alex LEAST likely to experience cognitive dissonance?
A)He bought the car against his friends' advice, and spent a lot of money on it.
B)He bought the car against his friends' advice, but it was cheap.
C)His friends supported his car purchase even though he spent a lot of money on it.
D)His friends supported his car purchase, and it was cheap.

Accepted Answer

Alex is least likely to experience cognitive dissonance in option D because his decision to buy the car aligns with the approval of his friends and the fact that it was also a cheap purchase. This means that there is little tension between his attitudes and behaviors, reducing the likelihood of experiencing cognitive dissonance. In options A, B, and C, there are conflicting elements that could potentially cause cognitive dissonance.

Question 13

In one well-known study that was conducted during an era of anti-Chinese prejudice (LaPiere, 1934), a researcher drove across the USA with a Chinese couple, stopping at dozens of restaurants, hotels, auto camps, and tourist homes.He was interested in knowing the percentage of establishments that would serve the couple, as well as the percentage of establishments that would SAY that they would serve the couple when contacted later.The results from this research provided some of the first evidence of ____.
A)the fact that people's stated attitudes are not always consistent with their actual behaviours
B)post-dissonance rationalisation
C)implicit prejudice
D)aversive racism

Accepted Answer

The results from this study provided evidence of the fact that people's stated attitudes (i.e., saying that they would serve the couple when contacted later) are not always consistent with their actual behaviours (i.e., refusing to serve the Chinese couple when they were present). This phenomenon is now known as the attitude-behaviour gap or the attitude-behaviour inconsistency.

Question 14

Conservatives tend to rely on conservative media outlets while liberals tend to rely on media outlets.What is this phenomenon called?
A)echo justification
B)filter bubbles
C)dissonance avoidance
D)selective exposure

Accepted Answer

The answer of Conservatives tend to rely on conservative media...

Question 15

A study (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1977) conducted to defend attitudes as a construct predictive of behaviour found that if you want to predict who will give blood, you should place which of the following statements on your attitude measure? (Assume a five-point Likert scale anchored by strongly disagree to strongly agree.)
A)I believe giving blood is a good thing.
B)I believe giving blood will help others.
C)I am a helpful person.
D)I believe giving blood is the right thing for me to do.

Accepted Answer

Choice D reflects a personal commitment and intention towards giving blood, indicating a strong attitude-behavior link. The other choices may reflect positive attitudes towards giving blood or helping others, but they do not necessarily indicate a personal intention or commitment to actually donate blood.

Question 16

The need to feel that one is thinking and behaving in consistent ways is ____.
A)probably innate - rooted in our biological nature
B)probably culture-bound - important in some cultures but not in others
C)probably a matter of self-presentation only; inconsistencies seem only to be troubling when others know about them
D)enormously varied from one person to the next; not everyone feels this need, and - among those who do - some people feel it much more strongly than others

Accepted Answer

The answer of The need to feel that one is...

Question 17

Much research has demonstrated a weak link between (a) what people say their attitudes are, and (b) how they actually behave.According to the text, one of the key reasons that this relationship is so weak, however, is the fact that researchers have often ____.
A)tried to relate very general attitudes to very specific behaviours
B)tried to relate very specific attitudes to very general behaviours
C)limited their research in this area to very sensitive topics (e.g., sexual attitudes and behaviours), where attitude-behaviour inconsistencies are especially likely to occur
D)limited their research in this area to topics that research participants are unlikely to care much about (e.g., the number of minutes they will spend on a particular experimental task), where attitude-behaviour inconsistencies are especially likely to occur

Accepted Answer

When researchers try to relate very general attitudes to very specific behaviors, there is a greater likelihood of attitude-behavior inconsistencies. This is because general attitudes may not always translate into specific behaviors in every situation.

Question 18

In one well-known study that was conducted during an era of anti-Chinese prejudice (LaPiere, 1934), a researcher drove across the USA with a Chinese couple, stopping at dozens of restaurants, hotels, auto camps, and tourist homes.He was interested in attitude-behaviour consistency.Specifically, he was interested in knowing the percentage of establishments that would serve the couple, as well as the percentage of establishments that would say that they would serve the couple when contacted later.What did he find?
A)Nearly 100% served them; and roughly 90% said they would.
B)Nearly 100% served them; but only about 10% said they would.
C)Only about 10% served them; but about 90% said they would.
D)Only about 10% served them; but nearly 100% said they would.

Accepted Answer

The study found that nearly 100% of the establishments served the Chinese couple, but only about 10% said they would when contacted later, highlighting a discrepancy between attitudes and behaviors.

Question 19

According to cognitive dissonance theory, if Selena has just volunteered to give a presentation to her classmates about the importance of practising safe sex at all times, then - at least in the immediate future - what best describes her likely behaviour?
A)She will be more likely to practise safe sex herself.
B)She will be more likely to believe that practising safe sex is important.
C)She will be more likely to practise safe sex herself AND more likely to believe that practising safe sex is important.
D)She will NOT be more likely to practise safe sex herself and will NOT be more likely to believe that practising safe sex is important.

Accepted Answer

According to cognitive dissonance theory, when individuals engage in behavior that goes against their beliefs or values, they experience psychological discomfort or dissonance. In this case, Selena has volunteered to give a presentation about the importance of practising safe sex, which suggests that she believes in the importance of practicing safe sex. To reduce the dissonance between her beliefs and her behavior, Selena may be more likely to practice safe sex herself and to believe even more strongly in the importance of practicing safe sex. Hence, option C is the best choice.

Question 20

____ works on the assumption that a person's attitude toward helping others might fare better if his or her behaviour is not measured by a single test.
A)Effort justification
B)Behavioural aggregation
C)Behavioural plasticity
D)Attitude accessibility

Accepted Answer

Behavioural aggregation refers to the idea that multiple measures of behavior should be taken in order to better understand a person's attitudes and tendencies. By looking at a person's behavior over time and considering various situations, a more accurate assessment of their attitudes towards helping others can be made. This approach takes into account that behavior may vary depending on the context, and helps to reduce the impact of situational factors or random variation.

Quiz 7: Attitudes, Beliefs and Consistency

In light of the research on cognitive dissonance theory, what is the BEST explanation for the role of large, expensive marriage ceremonies?

Suppose that Mbali - who volunteers for a variety of environmental causes and frequently speaks on campus about the importance of recycling - decided to buy a big car with high petrol consumption last week.When is she most likely to try to rationalise her behaviour?

Which of the following best describes behavioural aggregation as a solution to the problem of attitude-behaviour inconsistency?

Which term refers to the idea that while attitudes and behaviour may not match in a single instance, they will tend to match up over a number of instances?

Mlibo is a vegetarian, but she ate a steak last night.When would she be MOST likely to try to rationalise her steak-eating?

Suppose that Aniya sold one of her stocks last week and that the value of the stock has tripled since then.What a mistake! In which of the following cases is Aniya MOST likely to experience cognitive dissonance?

In terms of how it is experienced, cognitive dissonance MOST closely resembles ____.

According to the text, the drive for consistency is ____.

Alex just bought a car last month and it is already having major mechanical problems.In which of the following cases is Alex LEAST likely to experience cognitive dissonance?

Conservatives tend to rely on conservative media outlets while liberals tend to rely on media outlets.What is this phenomenon called?

The need to feel that one is thinking and behaving in consistent ways is ____.

Much research has demonstrated a weak link between (a) what people say their attitudes are, and (b) how they actually behave.According to the text, one of the key reasons that this relationship is so weak, however, is the fact that researchers have often ____.

According to cognitive dissonance theory, if Selena has just volunteered to give a presentation to her classmates about the importance of practising safe sex at all times, then - at least in the immediate future - what best describes her likely behaviour?

____ works on the assumption that a person's attitude toward helping others might fare better if his or her behaviour is not measured by a single test.