協和・不協和条件における態度変化と態度再生 認知的不協和理論と自己知覚理論との統合の試み

門田 幸太郎

doi:10.4992/jjpsy.51.128

ATTITUDE CHANGE AND ATTITUDE RECALL IN A CONSONANT OR DISSONANT

AN ATTEMPT TO INTEGRATE COGNITIVE DISSONANCE THEORY AND SELF-PERCEPTION THEORY

KOTARO MONDEN

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JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

1980 Volume 51 Issue 3 Pages 128-135

DOI https://doi.org/10.4992/jjpsy.51.128

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Published: September 20, 1980 Received: May 28, 1979 Available on J-STAGE: July 16, 2010 Accepted: - Advance online publication: - Revised: -
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Date of correction: July 16, 2010 Reason for correction: - Correction: ABSTRACT Details: Wrong : Since Bem proposed the self-perception theory as an alternative explanation for the results supporting the cognitive dissonance theory, many studies have tried to compare these theories in an either-or fashion, but failed to reach a definite conclusion. In the process of these studies, questions were raised as to whether or not the initial attitude was salient for the subjects and whether dissonant subjects depressed initial attitude to reduce dissonance after task performance. Some other investigators have insisted that even consonant subjects show attitude change in the task relevant to subjects' attitude. Shaffer (1975) asserted that dissonance theory was more consistent with the results in which consonant subjects showed attitude change but could recall initial attitude correctly, while dissonant subjects depressed initial attitude. In Shaffer and others consonance was defined as performing the task in the same direction as subjects' initial attitude, but the strength of the initial attitude was ignored.
In this experiment consonance was defined as performing the task in exactly the same attitude both in the direction and the strength as subjects' initial attitude. Subjects were divided into the dissonant, consonant, and control groups and were tested under the attitude change and attitude recall coditions by the forced compliance paradigm. Both dissonant group and consonant group performed an essay writing task.
The main results were as follows:
1. Dissonant subjects showed larger attitude change than consonant and control subjects. Recall errors corresponded to attitude change (Table 1). This result indicated the operational appropriateness of consonance definition, comparing with Shaffer's contradictive finding that consonant subjects showed attitude change.
2. On evaluation of task interest, dissonant subjects did not differ from consonant subjects in each condition (Table 2). This is not consistent with the dissonance theory which insists that dissonant subjects feel uncomfortable in dissonant tasks, thereby under-valuing task interest.
3. The result of evaluation of task importance was the same as that of task interest. This is also consistent with self-perception theory which predicts no difference among three groups (Table 3). In general, the correlation between attitude change and evaluation of task importance was such that the smaller the attitude change, the greater the evaluation of task importance (Table 4). This tendency is again contrary to the dissonance theory. From these results, it was suggested that the self-perception theory could be applied in the range of low ego-involved tasks and the dissonance theory in high ego-involved tasks, if task importance evaluation could be interpreted as an indicator of ego-involvement.
4. The correlation between recalled attitude vs. final attitude was higher than that of initial attitude vs. recalled attitude in the dissonant condition. This is consistent with the self-perception theory which insists that subjects tend to think that their initial attitude is the same as the final attitude as inferred from their external behavior (Table 5).
In conclusion, the results were generally more consistent with the self-perception theory than the cognitive dissonance theory. The result in 3, above, however, implied a possibility of integration by delimiting each theory's application range in terms of ego-involvement. Some studies suggesting similar possibilities were reviewed.
Right : Defining consonance as performing a task with exactly the same attitude as the subject's initial attitude, this experiment aimed to compare self-perception theory with cognitive dissonance theory in attitude change and attitude recall conditions by the forced compliance paradigm. The finding that there was neither attitude change nor recall error in the consonant subjects made it possible to compare the two theories without the theoretical difficulty of attitude change by consonant subjects reported in Shaffer's study. The results that the dissonant subjects did not differ from the consonant subjects in the evaluation of task interest and task importance were more consistent with self-perception theory, but were contrary to the prediction of dissonance theory that the dissonant subjects would show lower evaluation of both task interest and task importance. A possibility of integrating them by delimiting each theory's applicable range was suggested.

Abstract

Defining consonance as performing a task with exactly the same attitude as the subject's initial attitude, this experiment aimed to compare self-perception theory with cognitive dissonance theory in attitude change and attitude recall conditions by the forced compliance paradigm. The finding that there was neither attitude change nor recall error in the consonant subjects made it possible to compare the two theories without the theoretical difficulty of attitude change by consonant subjects reported in Shaffer's study. The results that the dissonant subjects did not differ from the consonant subjects in the evaluation of task interest and task importance were more consistent with self-perception theory, but were contrary to the prediction of dissonance theory that the dissonant subjects would show lower evaluation of both task interest and task importance. A possibility of integrating them by delimiting each theory's applicable range was suggested.

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