Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · 1995 · 148 citations · 32 references
Social SciencesBehavioral SciencesPsychologyExperimental DesignExperimental PsychologySocial CognitionAttitude ChangeAttribution ProcessesBiasCognitive Dissonance ReductionSource Misattribution
Recent experiments suggest hypocrisy may be a form of cognitive dissonance induction, proposing it as a new paradigm, though alternative explanations exist. The study aims to rule out alternative explanations by providing independent evidence that hypocrisy induces cognitive dissonance. A 2×2 design manipulates hypocrisy induction and the opportunity to misattribute arousal, and if hypocrisy is dissonance, misattribution should reduce behavior changes. Results support the predictions.
Recent experiments involving hypocrisy have been theorized to be a form of cognitive dissonance induction. As such, hypocrisy would constitute a new experimental paradigm for dissonance induction. However, these hypocrisy studies are open to alternative explanations. The present study attempts to rule out these alternative explanations by providing independent evidence that hypocrisy is a form of cognitive dissonance arousal. In the present study, a 2× 2 design manipulates whether hypocrisy is induced and whether subjects are given an opportunity to misattribute their arousal to external factors. If hypocrisy is a form of dissonance, the misattribution manipulation should reduce behavior changes brought on by the induction of hypocrisy. The results support the predictions.
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Self-discrepancy: A theory relating self and affect.
E. Tory Higgins · Psychological Review · 1987 · 6.8K citations