Influence Theories

Influence Theories

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

The Key Points:

• People seek consistency in their lives.

• People are sensitive to contradictions and inconsistencies.

• Dissonance (discomfort, guilt, doubt) fosters attitude change.

The Rules of Consistency

People Expect Consistency: “My behavior is consistent with my self- concept”

Inconsistencies Create Dissonance

-- Uncomfortable and tense experiences

-- Stress-like physiology

-- If dissonance was a pill, would you buy it?

Dissonance fosters the desire for consistency

-- Dissonance can be reduced by changing one’s perception of the relevant behavior .

-- Dissonance can be reduced by changing perception of one’s self.

Doing Dissonance

Planning Is Important

Get and Hold Internal Attribution

-- Free Choice

-- No Rewards

-- No External Excuse (e.g., external cause or blame)

Cause Negative Inconsistency

-- Get a behavioral commitment.

The person(s) should actually do the inconsistency (the inconsistent behavior)

-- Let the person(s) do the work.

Don't you criticize the person’s "stupidity."

Focus on Behavior, not Self Concept

-- Let attitude change toward Behavior be your Goal

-- Avoid direct attacks on Self Concept

Implications

Worse Is Best: more inconsistency, more dissonance, more change

Interesting Explanation for Counter-Intuitive Behaviors:

-- Initiation, Military boot camp, Collegel

-- Abusive Relationships

-- Relatively Small Advertising Effects (Politics)

Internal and External Attribution

Consequences of Failed Persuasion

Social Influence

Definition of an Attitude

Attitude = one's evaluative orientation toward a person, thing, idea, etc.

• Do you like Shredded Wheat?

• Will you vote for Al Gore for president?

• Do you prefer lecture course or seminars?

• What's your favorite Friday evening activity?

• Is Seinfeld funny?

Persuasion

• Often studied as changing people's attitudes

• Goal is usually to change their behavior

• Attitude-behavior link too often is weak

• Communication focuses on noncoercive verbal influence

• Most real situations are partly coercive

• How would you define coercion? Voluntary?

• Think about choice within constraints

Social Judgment Theory

Key Point: attitude change (persuasion) is mediated by judgmental processes and effects. Put differently, persuasion occurs at the end of the process where a person understands a message then compares the position it advocates to the person's position on that issue.

A person's position on an issue is dependent on:

• the person's most preferred position (his/her anchor point)

• the person's judgment of the