When exemplification fails: hypocrisy and the motive for self-integrity.

Two experiments investigated how the dissonance that follows a hypocritical behavior is reduced when 2 alternatives are available; a direct strategy (changing behavior to make it less hypocritical) or an indirect strategy (the affirmation of an unrelated positive aspect of the self). In Experiment 1, after dissonance was aroused by hypocrisy, significantly more participants chose to reduce dissonance directly, despite the clear availability of a self-affirmation strategy. In Experiment 2, participants again chose direct resolution of their hypocritical discrepancy, even when the opportunity to affirm the self held more importance for their global self-worth. The discussion focuses on the mechanisms that influence how people select among readily available strategies for dissonance reduction.

[1]  A. Tesser,et al.  On the substitutability of self-protective mechanisms , 1996 .

[2]  Elliot Aronson,et al.  Hypocrisy, Misattribution, and Dissonance Reduction , 1995 .

[3]  Linda Simon,et al.  Trivialization: the forgotten mode of dissonance reduction. , 1995 .

[4]  Joshua Aronson,et al.  From Dissonance To Disidentification: Selectivity in the Self-Affirmation Process , 1995 .

[5]  Matthew P. Winslow,et al.  Inducing Hypocrisy as a Means of Encouraging Young Adults to Use Condoms , 1994 .

[6]  A. Elliot,et al.  On the motivational nature of cognitive dissonance: Dissonance as psychological discomfort. , 1994 .

[7]  C M Steele,et al.  Self-image resilience and dissonance: the role of affirmational resources. , 1993, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[8]  E. Aronson.  The Return of the Repressed: Dissonance Theory Makes a Comeback , 1992 .

[9]  Elliot Aronson,et al.  Taking a Closer Look: Reasserting the Role of the Self-Concept in Dissonance Theory , 1992 .

[10]  Elliot Aronson,et al.  Using Cognitive Dissonance to Encourage Water Conservation) , 1992 .

[11]  Carrie B. Fried,et al.  Overcoming denial and increasing the intention to use condoms through the induction of hypocrisy. , 1991, American journal of public health.

[12]  A. Tesser,et al.  On the confluence of self processes , 1991 .

[13]  Carl A. Kallgren,et al.  A focus theory of normative conduct: Recycling the concept of norms to reduce littering in public places. , 1990 .

[14]  B. R. Schlenker,et al.  Impact of self-presentations on private self-beliefs: Effects of prior self-beliefs and misattribution , 1990 .

[15]  C. R. Snyder,et al.  Excuses: their effective role in the negotiation of reality. , 1988, Psychological bulletin.

[16]  C. Steele.  The Psychology of Self-Affirmation: Sustaining the Integrity of the Self , 1988 .

[17]  E. E. Jones,et al.  Exemplification: The self‐presentation of moral character , 1986 .

[18]  S. J. Kantola,et al.  Cognitive dissonance and energy conservation. , 1984 .

[19]  J. Cooper,et al.  A New Look at Dissonance Theory , 1984 .

[20]  Claude M. Steele,et al.  DISSONANCE PROCESSES AS SELF-AFFIRMATION , 1983 .

[21]  M. Zanna,et al.  Repression-sensitization differences in responses to a decision , 1982 .

[22]  A. Greenwald,et al.  Psychological perspectives on the self , 1982 .

[23]  C. Steele,et al.  Dissonance and alcohol: drinking your troubles away. , 1981, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[24]  Claude M. Steele,et al.  Making the Dissonant Act Unreflective of Self , 1981 .

[25]  S. Sherman,et al.  Attitude bolstering when behavior is inconsistent with central attitudes , 1980 .

[26]  Charles S. Carver,et al.  Private and public self-attention, resistance to change, and dissonance reduction. , 1980 .

[27]  Mark P. Zanna,et al.  A new look at selective exposure , 1979 .

[28]  J. Cooper,et al.  Dissonance and humor: Evidence for the undifferentiated nature of dissonance arousal. , 1978 .

[29]  A. Greenwald,et al.  Twenty years of cognitive dissonance: case study of the evolution of a theory. , 1978, Psychological review.

[30]  Mark P. Zanna,et al.  Dissonance and Self-perception: An integrative View of Each Theory's Proper Domain of Application , 1977 .

[31]  M. Zanna,et al.  On the interaction of repression-sensitization and attention in resolving cognitive dissonance. , 1976, Journal of Personality.

[32]  C. Batson.  Rational processing or rationalization? The effect of disconfirming information on a stated religious belief. , 1975 .

[33]  J Cooper,et al.  Dissonance and the pill: an attribution approach to studying the arousal properties of dissonance. , 1974, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[34]  Bettina Götz‐Marchand,et al.  Preference of dissonance reduction modes as a function of their order, familiarity and reversibility† , 1974 .

[35]  D. Dutton,et al.  Threat of own prejudice and reverse discrimination in interracial situations. , 1973 .

[36]  P. Tannenbaum,et al.  Theories of cognitive consistency: a sourcebook. , 1968 .

[37]  J. Brehm,et al.  Explorations in Cognitive Dissonance , 1962 .

[38]  Robert P. Abelson,et al.  Modes of resolution of belief dilemmas , 1959 .

[39]  L. Festinger,et al.  A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance , 2017 .

[40]  L. Festinger,et al.  When Prophecy Fails , 1956 .