2.4 Cognitive Consistency

Question 1

Cognitive Consistency

• Assumptions
• Definition
• Types

Answer 1

Core assumptions:

Each individual has a need to avoid/eliminate occurring disagreements in its attitude-system

Cognitive Consistency:

• Occurs if a person’s cognitions (e.g. beliefs, knowledge, memories) are in harmony.

Types of inconsistency:


• Intra-attitude-inconsistency: inconsistencies between the components of the attitude (e.g. between affective and cognitive components)
• Inter-attitude-inconsistency: inconsistencies between several attitudes in aperson’s attitude-system
  (e. g. positive attitude towards brand A; negative attitude towards dealer B. This leads to a inconsistency of the attitude-system (A,B), if brand A is offered by dealer B.

Question 2

Heider’s Balance Theory

Answer 2

Assumption:

• Individuals analyse the relationship between elements that are involved into attitude formation. Their attitude can only be stable if the relationships are balanced (consistent).

Elements:

• The perceptive person itself (P) and its attitude towards another person/ object (O) and another person/object (X)

Possible elations:

• Unit relations: objective (e.g. P possesses X), Sentiment relations: affective (e.g. P hates O) 


Question 3

Festinger’s Dissonance Theory

Answer 3

Cognitive dissonance:

• Incompatible cognitions cause an inner conflict within the intellectual system of an individual which is experienced as unpleasant

Dissonance reduction:

• In cases of a sufficient activation the individual tries to reduce the dissonances and to build cognitive consonances. This can lead to an adjustment of someone’s attitude to his/her behavior

Question 4

a) Reduction of cognitive dissonance

Answer 4

Question 5

b) Typical conditions for dissonance development

Answer 5

Question 6

c) Measurement of cognitive dissonance

Answer 6

Dimensions of cognitive dissonance

Strong dissonance leads to…

• Lower satisfaction

• Lower evaluation of value for money
• Lower repurchase probability