Testing the Self-Perception Explanation of Dissonance Phenomena: On the Salience of Premanipulation Attitudes.

TLDR

A controversy surrounds Bern’s simulations supporting self‑perception theory for cognitive dissonance, with critics questioning whether pre‑manipulation attitudes influence post‑manipulation phenomenology. The study examines the epistemological aspects of the interpersonal simulation methodology. The study shows that participants in a forced‑compliance experiment cannot accurately recall their pre‑manipulation attitudes and perceive no change, indicating pre‑manipulation attitudes are not salient post‑manipulation.

Abstract

A controversy has arisen over the simulations used by Bern to support his contention that his self-perception theory accounts for cognitive dissonance phenomena. Specifically, the critics challenge the implication of his analysis that the premanipulation attitudes of subjects in dissonance experiments are not salient in their postmanipulation phenomenology. The present investigation answers this challenge by demonstrating that subjects in a typical forced-compliance experiment are not only unable to recall their premanipulation attitudes correctly, but they actually perceive their postmanipulation attitudes to be identical to their premanipulation attitudes. Accordingly, they do not perceive any attitude change. The epistemological aspects of the interpersonal simulation methodology are also discussed.