On the motivational nature of cognitive dissonance: Dissonance as psychological discomfort.

doi:10.1037/0022-3514.67.3.382

Paper

On the motivational nature of cognitive dissonance: Dissonance as psychological discomfort.

Published 1994 · A. Elliot, P. Devine

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Q1 SJR score

1,258

Citations

72

Influential Citations

Full textSemantic Scholar

Abstract

Most empirical research investigating the motivational properties of cognitive dissonance has focused on the arousal component of dissonance rather than on the psychological component explicitly delineated by L. Festinger (1957) . In 2 induced-compliance experiments, a self-report measure of affect was used to demostrate that dissonance is experienced as psychological discomfort and that this psychological discomfort is alleviated on implementation of a dissonance-reduction strategy, attitude change. Experiment 1 yielded supporting evidence for both of these propositions. Experiment 2 replicated the 1st experiment and ruled out a self-perception-based alternative explanation for the dissonance-reduction findings in Experiment 1. Results from the 2 experiments strongly support Festinger's conceptualization of cognitive dissonance as a fundamentally motivational state.

Non-RCT

Highly Cited

Study Snapshot

Key takeawayCognitive dissonance is experienced as psychological discomfort, which is alleviated by implementing attitude change strategies, supporting Festinger's concept of dissonance as a motivational state.

PopulationOlder adults (50-71 years)

Sample size24

MethodsObservational

OutcomesBody Mass Index projections

ResultsSocial networks mitigate obesity in older groups.

On the motivational nature of cognitive dissonance: Dissonance as psychological discomfort.

References

Citations