Chat with AIExam 5: Self-Justification
Suppose a mother was trying to get her oldest son to stop beating up on his younger brother. Given your knowledge of dissonance theory, what advice would you give this parent on how to proceed? Compare the likely result of your plan with one based solely on compliance (i.e., simple reward and punishment). Discuss research evidence that supports your reasoning.
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Answered by Examlex AI CopilotAs a parent, it can be challenging to navigate sibling conflicts, especially when one child is being physically aggressive towards another. In this situation, it's important to consider the principles of dissonance theory in order to effectively address the behavior of the oldest son.
Dissonance theory suggests that individuals experience discomfort when their actions or beliefs are inconsistent with each other. In the case of the oldest son's behavior, it's likely that he may experience cognitive dissonance if he believes that he loves his younger brother but continues to physically harm him. This discomfort can lead to a change in attitude or behavior in order to reduce the dissonance.
To address this behavior, the mother can engage in a conversation with her oldest son to highlight the inconsistency between his love for his brother and his aggressive actions. By emphasizing the importance of treating others with kindness and respect, the mother can encourage her son to reflect on his behavior and recognize the dissonance between his actions and his beliefs. This approach aims to create internal motivation for the oldest son to change his behavior, as he seeks to reduce the discomfort of cognitive dissonance.
In contrast, a plan based solely on compliance through simple reward and punishment may not effectively address the underlying cognitive dissonance experienced by the oldest son. While rewards and punishments can modify behavior in the short term, they may not lead to a genuine change in attitude or internal motivation to treat his brother with kindness. Without addressing the cognitive dissonance, the oldest son may continue to struggle with conflicting beliefs and actions, leading to a potential recurrence of aggressive behavior in the future.
Research evidence supports the effectiveness of addressing cognitive dissonance in promoting attitude and behavior change. Studies have shown that individuals are more likely to change their attitudes and behaviors when they experience cognitive dissonance and are motivated to reduce this discomfort. By addressing the underlying inconsistency between the oldest son's beliefs and actions, the mother can promote a more meaningful and lasting change in her son's behavior towards his younger brother.
In conclusion, when addressing the oldest son's aggressive behavior towards his younger brother, it's important for the mother to consider the principles of dissonance theory. By addressing the cognitive dissonance experienced by her son, the mother can promote a more genuine and lasting change in his behavior, compared to a plan based solely on compliance through reward and punishment.
According to cognitive dissonance theory, if Abby wanted her roommate Rachel to pick up her clothes instead of leaving them on the floor, Abby would get the most behavioral change if she:
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VerifiedB
Zimbardo's experiment on the effects of dissonance arousal on pain, in which subjects received a series of intense electric shocks under different conditions, found that:
(38) VerifiedC
In Freedman's study, children who were given mild threats of punishment for playing with a robot toy:
(39) Cohen et al. found that African-American children who have classroom assignments at the start of the school year that focused on __________ received significantly higher grades.
(39) If you recall the experiment conducted by Stanley Milgram, it is clear that cognitive dissonance theory played a large role in subjects' willingness to shock the helpless "learners." Which of the following statements might best predict higher levels of dissonance in the subjects?
(37) According to a survey gauging people's reactions to scientific evidence that smoking cigarettes causes cancer:
(36) In Axsom and Cooper's study of weight reduction, they found that women in the ________ effort condition reported significant weight loss at ________.
(31) Joe is given the choice between two record albums he has already ranked as numbers 4 and 5 on a 1-10 scale. Joe chooses #4. Two weeks later when Joe is asked to rerank the ten albums, he reranks #4 as #2. This example is best predicted by:
(30) Which of the following conclusions is supported by Aronson and Mills's experiment in which subjects underwent either a severe or a mild initiation in order to join a boring discussion group?
(32) The amount of dissonance produced when a person engages in an attitude-discrepant act is greatest when the rewards are:
(35) In his text, Aronson argues that Jim Jones was able to persuade people to comply with his demands by first making small demands and then increasing them. This analysis is most similar to the research conducted by:
(30) The combined results of rumor research conducted by Prasad and Sinha were that following a natural disaster, people who lived in the towns directly affected by the event were more likely to ________ the possibility of impending disaster, while those living in relatively undamaged, neighboring towns tended to ________ the possibility of impending disaster.
(34) Lord, Ross, and Lepper showed articles favoring and opposing capital punishment to groups of students who either opposed or were in favor of it. The results of this study showed that reading articles on both sides of the controversial issue:
(32) Suppose you are responsible for planning the initiation of new members to a group to which you belong. Generalizing from Aronson and Mills's study on the effects of initiation on liking of the group, you would do well to make the initiation process:
(36) Aronson suggests that cognitive dissonance plays a large role in political elections because voters will generally:
(36) Suppose you wanted to convince someone who is opposed to marijuana that it should be legalized. According to cognitive dissonance theory, what would be the best way to change that person's attitude?
(26) Suppose you are ready to buy a new car. You have great difficulty choosing between Brand A and Brand B. Finally, you buy Brand A. According to dissonance theory, after you have driven the car for a few weeks, you will be most likely to emphasize:
(30) According to Mills's study of cheating among sixth-graders, students ________ after having resisted the temptation to cheat on an exam.
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