1 Dealing With Threats to The Self Part 2

2 Motivated reasoning The tendency to interpret information in a way that favors pre-existing beliefs and desires. The tendency to interpret information in a way that favors pre-existing beliefs and desires.  Political debates  Health information

3 Motivated Reasoning

4 Cognitive Dissonance A state of psychological tension that is aroused when a person simultaneously holds two thoughts that contradict one another. A state of psychological tension that is aroused when a person simultaneously holds two thoughts that contradict one another.

5 Theory of Cognitive Dissonance Inconsistency between thoughts Experience cognitive dissonance Attempt to reduce dissonance

6 Festinger & Carlsmith (1959) Participants did boring tasks for 1 hour. Participants did boring tasks for 1 hour. Paid $1 or $20 to tell another subject that the tasks were enjoyable. Paid $1 or $20 to tell another subject that the tasks were enjoyable. During interview, asked how much they enjoyed the tasks. During interview, asked how much they enjoyed the tasks.

7 Types of Cognitive Dissonance Attitude-Behavior inconsistency Attitude-Behavior inconsistency Effort justification Effort justification Post-decisional dissonance Post-decisional dissonance

8 Self-Affirmation Theory People want to see themselves positively. People want to see themselves positively. Dissonance is a threat to the self. Dissonance is a threat to the self. When dissonance is aroused, people can deal with it directly or by affirming the self in an unrelated domain. When dissonance is aroused, people can deal with it directly or by affirming the self in an unrelated domain.

9 Steele & Lui (1983) Control group: Dissonance  Attitude change Self-Affirmation group: Dissonance--Self-Affirmation  Less attitude change

10 Self-Affirmation and Motivated Reasoning Cohen et al. (2000) Cohen et al. (2000)  P’s were pro-choice or pro-life  Read a debate b/w activists on each side of the issue.  Self-affirmation manipulation.

11 How do People Deal with Self- Threats? Self-Handicapping—prior to performance Self-Handicapping—prior to performance Self-Serving Bias—after performance Self-Serving Bias—after performance Motivated reasoning Motivated reasoning Change thoughts/attitudes/behaviors to reduce discomfort (cognitive dissonance theory). Change thoughts/attitudes/behaviors to reduce discomfort (cognitive dissonance theory). Affirm an unrelated part of the self (self- affirmation theory). Affirm an unrelated part of the self (self- affirmation theory).