This article provides an overview of research about cognitive dissonance reduction. Over the past 60 years, researchers have produced significant theoretical and empirical contributions from cognitive dissonance theory. One of the challenges that remains for dissonance theory going forward is a deeper examination of the process of dissonance reduction. I describe the various reduction strategies that have been investigated followed by models that have been proposed to understand an individual's use of dissonance reduction strategies. I then highlight a series of factors that can help us move research about dissonance reduction forward. These factors can be broadly subsumed under characteristics of the reduction mode and characteristics of the dissonance arousal. I conclude by suggesting that examination of these factors in studies that present multiple reduction modes to participants will provide a better understanding of the process of dissonance reduction. | INTRODUCTIONEach day, we are faced with a host of decisions. This is not surprising, but what is surprising is how often our decisions conflict with our attitudes, values, and goals. What will I have with my lunch-fries or salad? Will I exercise today? Will I drive to work or take the bus? Should I go on vacation or save for a down payment? In each of these instances, a person is presented with conflicting choices, and although one might want to be a healthy, environmentally, and fiscally responsible person, oftentimes one's behavior is incongruous with such goals. When this happens a person can experience a negative affective state characterized by discomfort, tension, and heightened physiological arousal.This experience is known as cognitive dissonance (Festinger, 1957). Cognitive dissonance theory has been one of the most important theories to emerge from social psychology, and although research has documented when, and also, why cognitive dissonance occurs, considerably less research has focused on the process of dissonance reduction, that is, how we resolve the state of dissonance and extinguish those unwanted negative emotions.Part of the appeal of cognitive dissonance theory is that it elegantly describes a phenomenon that people regularly experience. As an example, Loughnan, Bastian, and Haslam (2014) recently explored the psychology of eating animals, noting that many people are confronted with a meat paradox. That is, we simultaneously care about (and for) animals yet consume products that require animal suffering and death. In their explanation about how people Some authors have challenged reformulations of the original theory and have emphasized a return to the original theory. Beauvois and Joule's (1996) radical dissonance theory emphasizes Festinger's original work and argues for an essential role of commitment in the dissonance process. The action-based model proposed by Harmon-Jones and Harmon-Jones (2002) also advocates a return to the original theory supplemented with an explanation about why cognitive inconsistency produces aversive arous...
Prior research has assessed the temporal unfolding of forgiveness and found that forgiveness becomes more likely as time distances the victim from the transgression. These findings lend credence to the axiom "time heals all wounds." This research examines the effect of time perception on forgiveness of others by experimentally manipulating temporal distance. In Experiment 1, respondents reported greater willingness to forgive the transgressor when more time had elapsed since the transgression. Experiments 2 and 3 determined the influence of subjective temporal distance on willingness to forgive. Participants who perceived a hypothetical (Experiment 2) or real (Experimental 3) transgression to be farther away in time were more willing to forgive the target than were participants who perceived the event to be temporally closer. Results suggest that temporal appraisals of an event are central to the forgiveness process.
In this study we assessed the usefulness of a multifaceted teaching framework in an advanced statistics course. We sought to expand on past findings by using this framework to assess changes in anxiety and self-efficacy, and we collected focus group data to ascertain whether students attribute such changes to a multifaceted teaching approach. Statistics anxiety significantly decreased and students’ current statistics self-efficacy increased. Further, course performance was positively correlated with self-efficacy and a strong negative relationship between statistics anxiety and self-efficacy was documented. Focus group data suggested students appreciated aspects of this teaching framework and that they thought it served to reduce anxiety. In addition to this teaching framework, two instructional techniques were used to teach two specific statistical concepts. These techniques did not result in significant performance differences; however, students reported enjoying the activities and encouraged their use in future classes. Overall, this study suggests a multifaceted teaching framework may be useful in helping graduate students overcome anxiety and increase self-efficacy when completing an advanced statistics course. The research presented here adds to the growing literature concerning the importance of non-cognitive factors when teaching statistics. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed. Dans cette étude, nous avons évalué l’utilité d’un cadre pédagogique à plusieurs facettes dans un cours de statistiques de niveau avancé. Nous avons cherché à accroître les résultats de nos recherches passées en utilisant ce cadre pour évaluer les changements en matière d’anxiété et d’auto-efficacité et nous avons recueilli des données de la part de groupes cibles pour vérifier si les étudiants attribuaient de tels changements à une approche pédagogique à plusieurs facettes. L’anxiété vis à vis des statistiques avait beaucoup diminué et l’auto efficacité actuelle des étudiants en matière de statistiques avait augmenté. De plus, le rendement des cours était lié de façon positive à l’auto efficacité et une forte relation négative a été documentée entre l’anxiété vis à vis des statistiques et l’auto efficacité. Les données recueillies des groupes cibles suggèrent que les étudiants ont apprécié les divers aspects de ce cadre pédagogique et qu’ils ont pensé que celui-ci permettait de réduire l’anxiété. Outre ce cadre pédagogique, deux techniques d’instruction ont été utilisées pour enseigner deux concepts de statistiques spécifiques. Ces techniques n’ont pas donné lieu à des différences significatives, toutefois les étudiants ont rapporté qu’ils avaient aimé les activités et qu’ils encourageaient leur emploi dans d’autres cours à l’avenir. En général, cette étude suggère qu’un cadre pédagogique à plusieurs facettes peut être utile pour aider les étudiants des cycles supérieurs à surmonter l’anxiété et à augmenter l’auto efficacité dans les cours de statistiques de niveau avancé. La recherche présentée ici s’ajoute à la documentation de plus en plus vaste qui existe déjà sur l’importance des facteurs non cognitifs dans l’enseignement des statistiques. L’article présente également une discussion sur les limites et les directions à suivre pour des recherches futures.
Written feedback on students’ assignments is a common method that instructors and teaching assistants use to inform students about their performance or guide revisions. Despite its frequency of use, written feedback often lacks sufficient detail to be beneficial to students, and additional empirical research should examine its effectiveness as a teaching tool. The current study examined the effectiveness of two different types of feedback, developed and undeveloped, in terms of its influence on students’ subsequent writing performance and students’ perceptions of the feedback. Results demonstrated that the type of feedback significantly affected students’ perceptions, with developed feedback related to higher ratings of fairness and helpfulness; however, this feedback did not have a significant positive effect on students’ written performance. Les commentaires écrits sur les travaux sont une méthode courante utilisée par les enseignants et les aides-enseignants pour renseigner les étudiants sur leurs performances ou pour orienter les révisions. Malgré leur fréquence, il arrive souvent que les commentaires écrits ne soient pas assez détaillés pour être profitables aux étudiants. De plus amples recherches empiriques devraient se pencher sur l’efficacité de cet outil d'enseignement. La présente étude porte sur l'efficacité de différents types de commentaires élaborés et sous-élaborés; sur leur influence sur la performance écrite subséquente des étudiants et sur la perception de ces derniers à propos des commentaires. Les résultats démontrent que le type de commentaires influe significativement sur la perception des étudiants, les commentaires élaborés entraînant des évaluations supérieures en ce qui a trait à l’impartialité et à l'utilité; cependant, ces commentaires n'ont pas d'effets positifs importants sur la performance écrite des étudiants.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.