Justify my love: Cognitive dissonance reduction among perpetrators of online and offline infidelity

2021 ◽  
pp. 026540752110377
Author(s):  
Cassandra Alexopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Dissonance ◽  
Attitude Change ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Differential Effectiveness ◽  
Online Infidelity ◽  
Ashley Madison ◽  
Site Targeting ◽  
Concept Change

A longitudinal survey study was conducted to examine which strategies for reducing cognitive dissonance were used among men engaging in infidelity. Data were collected in two waves, 1 month apart ( n time1 = 1514, n time2 = 425), from a sample of male users of Ashley Madison, a “married dating” site targeting users who are seeking to engage in infidelity. Because perpetrators of infidelity may justify their behaviors differently depending on whether they cheated in an online environment, both online and offline infidelity behaviors were considered. Results indicated that attitude change and self-concept change were positively related to online infidelity, while only self-concept change was positively related to offline infidelity, suggesting their differential effectiveness for various communication media. Self-concept change, attitude change, and denial of responsibility were negatively related to psychological discomfort and perceived negative impact at time 2, indicating their relative success for reducing negative psychological outcomes compared to other strategies such as adding consonant cognitions.

scholarly journals Exploring Cognitive Dissonance on a Ski Mountaineering Traverse: A Personal Narrative of an Expedition to ISHINCA (5530 m) in PERU

Sports ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 249
Author(s):  
Melissa Hart
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Dissonance ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Attitude Change ◽  
Free Choice ◽  
Personal Narrative ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Narrative Account

Through a personal narrative account, this paper explores the nature of the author’s cognitive dissonance experienced during a traverse of a high-altitude ski mountaineering objective (Nevado Ishinca 5530 m) in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca. The author experienced psychological discomfort in the ascent and a role of self in determining a continued commitment with the ski mountaineering challenge. Distraction, trivialization, act rationalization and finally attitude change were all used in attempt to reduce negative levels of cognitive dissonance. The lack of consonant cognitions to support abandoning the climb, the notion of free choice, the role of self-concept and self-esteem values motivated continued commitment until the negative levels of arousal subsided. Through a challenging mountaineering experience, I developed a greater self-awareness of the role of commitment to an objective which could be applied to other life events and experiences.

Rationalization is irrational and self-serving, but useful

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jake Quilty-Dunn
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Cognitive Dissonance ◽  
Attitude Change ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Dissonance Reduction

Abstract Rationalization through reduction of cognitive dissonance does not have the function of representational exchange. Instead, cognitive dissonance is part of the “psychological immune system” (Gilbert 2006; Mandelbaum 2019) and functions to protect the self-concept against evidence of incompetence, immorality, and instability. The irrational forms of attitude change that protect the self-concept in dissonance reduction are useful primarily for maintaining motivation.

Stereotype Internalization, Math Perceptions, and Occupational Choices of Women With Counter-Stereotypical University Majors

2007 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginie Bonnot ◽  
Jean-Claude Croizet
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Occupational Choices ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Performance Expectancies ◽  
Subjective Value ◽  
Stereotype Endorsement

Based on Eccles’ (1987) model of academic achievement-related decisions, we tested whether women, who are engaged in mathematical fields at university, have internalized, to some extent, the stereotype about women’s inferiority in math. The results indicate that men and women do not assess their ability self-concept, subjective value of math, or performance expectancies differently. However, women’s degree of stereotype endorsement has a negative impact on their ability self-concept and their performance expectancies, but does not affect their value of the math domain. Moreover, members of both genders envisage stereotypical careers after university graduation.

Deliberation, demobilization, and limited empowerment: a survey study on participatory pricing in China

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 694-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuan Qin ◽  
Baogang He
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Political Activism ◽  
Specific Form ◽  
Public Deliberation ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Low Level ◽  
The Past ◽  
Significant Negative Impact

AbstractAuthoritarian deliberation has been used widely to describe the specific form of deliberation developed in China. However, whether its practice will strengthen authoritarianism or lead to democratization remains unknown. In this study, we examine this question from the perspective of participants in public deliberation. Surveying the participants in participatory pricings held in Shanghai over the past 5 years, we find that participants’ perception of deliberative quality has a statistically significant negative impact on their level of political activism, while their level of empowerment has a moderating effect on this negative relationship. In this light, Chinese deliberative practices characterized by high-quality deliberation and low-level empowerment are likely to have a demobilization effect; thus, they reinforce the authoritarian rules.

Group psychotherapy focusing on self-concept change following acquired brain injury: A pilot investigation.

2006 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chad D. Vickery ◽  
Samuel T. Gontkovsky ◽  
Jeanette J. Wallace ◽  
Jerome S. Caroselli
Keyword(s):  
Brain Injury ◽  
Group Psychotherapy ◽  
Acquired Brain Injury ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Pilot Investigation ◽  
Concept Change

Do I Know What I’m Doing? Cognitive Dissonance and Action Identification Theory

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valérie Fointiat ◽  
Audrey Pelt
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Dissonance ◽  
Attitude Change ◽  
Action Theory ◽  
Action Identification ◽  
Problematic Behavior ◽  
Target Behavior ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Identification Theory ◽  
High Level ◽  
Dissonance Reduction

AbstractOur main purpose was to explore hypotheses derived from the Identification of Action Theory in a particular situation that is, a dissonant situation. Thus, we varied the identification (low versus high-level) of a problematic behavior (to stop speaking for 24 hours) in the forced compliance paradigm. Two modes of dissonance reduction were presented: cognitive rationalization (classical attitude-change) and behavioral rationalization (target behavior: to stop speaking for 48 hours). As predicted, the results showed that high-level identity of action leads to cognitive rationalization whereas low-level identity leads to behavioural rationalization. Thus, participants identifying the problematic behavior at a low-level were more inclined to accept the target behavior, compared with participants identifying their problematic behavior at a higher-level. These results are of particular interest for understanding the extent to which the understanding of the discrepant act interferes with the cognitive processes of dissonance reduction.

Out With the Old, In With the New? How Changes in Close Relationships Change the Self

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan S. Gore ◽  
Damon Tichenor
Keyword(s):  
Big Five ◽  
Close Relationships ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
Personality Profiles ◽  
Personality Measure ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Concept Change

AbstractTwo studies investigated how the development and maintenance of old and new relationships predict spontaneous and reactive self-concept change. For Study 1 (n = 143), freshmen in their first 8 weeks of college completed a Twenty Statements Test (TST), and indicated how close they felt in their established and new relationships. Eight weeks later, they indicated which aspects on the TST had changed. The results showed that closeness to old relationships at Time 1 predicted fewer deletions to their Time 2 TST, whereas closeness to new relationships at Time 1 predicted more additions to their Time 2 TST. For Study 2 (n = 195), participants completed a Big Five personality measure and closeness measure at two time points. The results showed that decreased closeness in old relationships at Time 2 predicted overall change to personality profiles. Implications for the link between relationships and self-concept change are discussed.

Stories Enlarge the Experience of Self

2021 ◽  
pp. 249-265
Author(s):  
Benjamin K. Johnson ◽  
Michael D. Slater ◽  
Nathaniel A. Silver ◽  
David R. Ewoldsen
Keyword(s):  
Attitude Change ◽  
Media Use ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Life Stressors ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Expansion Mechanism ◽  
Narrative Engagement ◽  
Effects Of Media ◽  
Narrative Influence

Temporarily expanded boundaries of the self (TEBOTS) proposes underlying motivations for engaging with stories. TEBOTS points out that fundamental human drives for agency, autonomy, and connectedness are imperfectly attainable. As a result, human beings turn to transcendent experiences that offer self-expansion, especially engagement with mediated worlds and the stories and characters they provide. TEBOTS provides unique hypotheses about how the self-concept relates to the selection, processing, and effects of media entertainment. Confirmatory evidence for TEBOTS shows that threats to the self can increase responsiveness to narratives, and that effects are attributable to a boundary expansion mechanism. Recent studies demonstrate that boundary expansion during media use can facilitate positive outgroup perceptions and attitude change. The TEBOTS framework also provides testable propositions regarding the influence of life stressors such as finance, health, and relationships on narrative engagement and enjoyment, carrying potential implications for narrative influence on stressed populations.

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