Social Psychology Ch 6

Front 1

Cognitive Dissonance

Back 1

A drive or feeling of discomfort, originally defined as being caused by holding tow or more inconsistent cognitions and subsequently defined as being caused by performing an action that is discrepant from one’s customary, typically positive self-conception

Front 2

Post-decision Dissonance

Back 2

Dissonance aroused after making a decision, typically reduced by enhancing the attractiveness of the chosen alternative and devaluating the rejected alternatives

Front 3

Low balling

Back 3

An unscrupulous strategy whereby a salesperson induces a customer to agree to purchase a product at a very low cost, subsequently claims it was an error, and then raises the price; frequently the customer will agree to make to purchase at the inflated price

Front 4

Justification of Effort

Back 4

The tendency for individuals to increase their linking for something they have worked hard to attain

Front 5

External Justification

Back 5

A reason or an explanation of dissonant personal behavior that resides outside the individual (e.g. in order to receive a large reward or avoid a severe punishment)

Front 6

Internal Justification

Back 6

The reduction of dissonance by changing something about oneself (e.g. one’s attitudes or behavior

Front 7

Conterattitudinal Advocacy

Back 7

Stating an opinion or attitude that runs counter to one’s private belief or attitude

Front 8

Insufficient Punishment

Back 8

The dissonance aroused when the individuals lack sufficient external justification for having resisted a desired activity or object, usually resulting in individuals devaluing the forbidden activity or object

Front 9

Self-Persuasion

Back 9

A long-lasting form of attitude change that results form attempts at self justification

Front 10

Self- Discrepancy Theory

Back 10

The idea that people become distressed when their sense of their actual self differs from their ideal self

Front 11

Self-Evaluation Maintenance Theory

Back 11

The idea that one’s self-concept can be threatened by another individual’s behavior and that the level of threat is determined by both the closeness of the other individual and the personal relevance of the behavior

Front 12

Self- Affirmation Theory

Back 12

The idea that people will reduce the impact of a dissonance-arousing threat to their self-concept by focusing on and affirming their competence of some dimension unrelated to the treat

Front 13

Self-Verification Theory

Back 13

The idea that people have a need to seen confirmation of their self-concept, be it positive or negative, which in some circumstances can conflict the desire to uphold a favorable view of oneself

Front 14

Self- Justification

Back 14

The tendency to justify one’s actions in order to maintain one’s self-esteem

Front 15

Rationalization Trap

Back 15

The potential for dissonance reduction to produce a succession of self-justifications that ultimately result in a chain of stupid or immoral actions