Individer har olika grad av Preference for consistency (PFC) och är en bidragande orsak till hur man uppfattar och agerar i konsumentsammanhang. Studien undersökte om höga PFC- individer var mer positiva till ”ett erbjudande” med hög konsekvenskänsla. Tre betingelser med varierande manipulationsgrad användes och data samlades in från 74 studenter. Ett frågeformulär med tillhörande erbjudande presenterades för deltagarna som fyllde i ett antal frågor och en PFC-B skala. Studien lyckades inte ge stöd åt hypotesen. Däremot förekom en illusion av osårbarhet och en tredjepersoneffekt. Studien lyckades troligtvis inte konstruera ett tillräckligt bra instrument som skapade rätt konsekventkänsla vilket bidrog till att deltagarna inte blev påverkade av erbjudandet i den grad som var förväntat.

Cognitive dissonance has traditionally been defined as the negative affective state which accompanies inconsistent cognitions and motivates one to make the cognitions consistent. This thesis critically evaluates two theories about cognitive dissonance. The action-based model of dissonance argues that inconsistent cognitions have the potential to interfere with effective and unconflicted action. The new look model of dissonance, contradicting the traditional definition of dissonance, argues that it is aversive consequences rather than inconsistent cognitions that cause dissonance. Recent studies investigating the neural correlates of dissonance show that parts of anterior cingulate cortex and prefrontal cortex seem to be involved in the dissonance process. One of the major predictions of the new look model of dissonance has been undermined by recent evidence. In contrast, the action-based model of dissonance is supported by recent studies.

<p>A long tradition of social psychological research suggests that perceptions of similarity and common ground can promote more harmonious relations among otherwise diverse social groups. Yet perceived similarity with and empathy for members of an outgroup can also intensify intergroup bias by threatening the positive distinctiveness of one's group. In the present research, cognitive dissonance theory is used as a framework for understanding how people experience and react to similarity with members of a rival outgroup and for clarifying the conditions under which outgroup similarity reduces or intensifies intergroup prejudice. Four studies tested the hypothesis that outgroup similarity elicits subjective feelings of cognitive dissonance, including psychological discomfort and negative self-evaluation. Study 1 was a pilot test in which similarity to an outgroup member was associated with negative self-evaluation but not psychological discomfort. Study 2 strengthened the interpretation of the turncoat effect as cognitive dissonance by demonstrating that the effect varies as a function of a classic dissonance moderator--perceived choice. Participants induced to experience outgroup similarity reported psychological discomfort and negative self-evaluation, but only when they believed their feelings of similarity resulted from a high degree of personal choice. Study 3 identified strength of ingroup identification as another key moderator of the effect: Only participants who were highly identified with their ingroup reported feelings of dissonance after an induction of outgroup similarity. Finally, Study 4 investigated the implications of three dissonance reduction strategies for intergroup prejudice.</p> / Dissertation

Since the limitations for the presentation of information on the internet, shopping online makes consumers feel cognitive dissonance more easily compared with traditional shopping. While experiencing cognitive dissonance after shopping, consumers would search and browse the internet for word-of mouth in order to rationalize their purchase behavior. However, there seems little research for the impact on consumers¡¦ feelings by online word-of-mouth during post-purchase. Therefore, this study is going to be focused on the influence of searching online word-of-mouth on consumer post-purchase cognitive dissonance level, consumer attitudes and intention s to spread negative word-of-mouth. This study is adopted an experiment to understand the effect of reading wording-of-mouth on consumers. The degree of consumer cognitive dissonance is measured by the comparison between the difference of consumer expectation and their feelings in actual products. The word-of-mouth design is applied to content analysis to understand the actual word-of-mouth and thus this is resulted in an online word-of-mouth contented ¡§more negative messages and less positive ones¡¨. According to this research, there is no significant difference between cognitive dissonance and consumer attitude after reading the word-of-mouth in the high degree of cognitive dissonance case; nevertheless, the intention to spread negative word-of-mouth would be significantly decreased. On the other hand, in the low degree of cognitive dissonance case, after reading word-of-mouth, cognitive dissonance would be significantly increased, and consumer attitude could be significantly decreased and negative word-of-mouth intention will significantly increase.

Nowadays, more and more organizations put efforts on recruitment process in order to find the right employees. With the new technology development, the various recruitment sources yield. The differential effectiveness of the various sources through which outside applicants hear of employment opportunities at a particular organization needs further research to identify which sources yield stable, reliable, and high-performing employees (Taylor, 1988). In this study, we also adapt the concept of cognitive dissonance which has been never used in organizational issues to see its availability on organizational issues. In order to know how realistic job previews (RJPs) can be functioned effectively and when and in what forms the realistic job previews messages are processed most effectively by new comers during recruitment process, we need to extend the realistic job previews prior research and try to understand the factors that influence an realistic job preview message as well as how realistic job previews operate to influence socialization outcomes. Besides, how effective the new comers acquire the realistic job preview messages (information) is also an important issue that will be emphasized in this study. This study contributed to understand the current situation of realistic job previews which recruiters provide during recruitment procedure and the relationship between RJPs, cognitive dissonance and socialization outcomes. In this study, the sample was distributed to the new employees whose tenure was less than one year. The total distributed samples were 280 and returned samples were 237. We excluded 20 invalid responses and final samples were 217. One Way ANOVA and Linear Regression were used to analyse the relationship between variables in this study. The result can be summarized as follows: 1. As the result reported, most of applicants (66.8%) apply job through Internet. The result indicates that most of applicants today prefer web-based interface as they try to seek recruitment related information. Most applicants (85.7%) experience laboratory setting (e.g. interview) during recruitment process. Over half of new comers (56.2%) get realistic job information after they started the job. The result suggests that over half of applicants get whole realistic job preview after they accept the job offer. 2. As our result reported, greater use of medium, settings, and recruiters while realistic job previews are presented during recruitment process significantly influence new comers¡¦ cognitive dissonance, especially for wisdom of making employment decision and concern over selection procedure. The result indicates that the medium of written, will lead the strongest influence to new comers¡¦ cognitive dissonance during recruitment process. The position of recruiters who provide job information during recruitment process is reported to significantly influence wisdom of making employment decision and concern over selection procedure. The result of comparison between groups suggests that if line employees who are responsible to provide job information, the new comers will perceive a stronger influence on the degrees of cognitive dissonance comparing with the recruiters who are in other positions. 3. Great use of timing of realistic job previews presented during recruitment process is partially associated with new comers¡¦ socialization outcomes. 4. Realistic job preview information presented during recruitment process is negatively associated with new comers¡¦ cognitive dissonance, positively associated with organizational commitment and negatively associated with turnover intention after they get into an organization. 5. Cognitive dissonance except emotional, is negatively associated with organizational commitment and positively associated with turnover intention. 6. The mediating effect of cognitive dissonance between realistic job previews and socialization outcomes is noteworthy.

This qualitative study described non-science undergraduate majors' responses to controversial issues embedded in an introductory level environmental science course in a liberal arts college located in the southeastern United States. Participants enrolled in this 12-week summer course were both traditional college-age (late teens to early twenties) and non-traditional age student (thirties to fifties). Approximately 76 percent were female. Students demonstrated various lifestyles (e.g., gay, single-parent, living at home), socioeconomic statuses (e.g., middle-income, low income), employment (e.g., employed, unemployed, ex-military) and ethnicities. The structure of the environmental science course was consistent with the science education reform movement standards applied to K-12 public schools, but not yet pervasive in higher education. Some of the reform techniques included use of open discussion format, cooperative learning, field trips, classroom demonstration, and v arious media. The theoretical framework for the study was using controversial issues in science to stimulate cognitive dissonance, which may provide a pathway to higher level reflective thinking. Controversial issues triggering a response in students showed elements of injustice and unfairness. Examples included the CHEERS pesticide study on children in Jacksonville, Florida; human radiation experimentation, including the use of depleted uranium in military conflicts; and local groundwater cases that exhibited environmental racism. The study showed the use of controversial issues in the environmental science course stimulated reflective thinking and encouraged the expression of environmental advocacy beyond the classroom. Students expressed participation in energy and water conservation, recycling practices, political involvement, and joining environmental groups. Students shared information with outsiders, such as family, friends, and co-workers when they deemed it personally or societally relevant (e.g., pertaining to family, health, safety, homelife, politics). Generational differences in students were observed in their openness to discuss controversial issues, ability to self-express, attitude toward the environment, quality of writing, and involvement in the educational process.

This study targets to design the understanding of the relationship between actions and ethical values. An example of this kind of obliquity is illustrated by how environmental issues gets positive response from a majority while a minority have an environmentalfriendly behaviour towards it. This is studied by examining how private persons percieve the link between their consciousness and their effort to make a change. The method that has been used was single interviews with six male collegestudents. The main questioin is how it is possible to understand values and behaviour among men during education. The main theory involves cognitive dissonance, where the importance of differences between moral and deeds are discussed. The theory also focus on the problems with social traps in the society. The result shows that differences occur in the environmental behavour of people. These are caused by neutrality or the absence of information. Meanwhile, people who state to have environmental issues as a main interest sees more problems facing the ecological sustainability since they are more aware. The result also displayed environmental actions as ethically correct and if not performed causes a bad self-image. Connecting the collegestudents’ attitudes, cognitive dissonance och social traps, three general types of characters have been found for the analysis. The conclusion is to start engaging the population to greener actions by bigger co-operations between organisations and the society by including self-interest. This makes the population gain trust and make rational choices before co-operating. / Denna studie riktar sig mot att skapa en förståelse för relationen mellan handling och etiska principer. Ett exempel på ett snedvridet förhållande är hur miljöproblem får positiv respons av majoriteten av populationen, medan en minoritet möter problemen med ett miljövänligt beteende. Undersökningen utgår från hur privatpersoner reflekterar kring länken mellan sitt samvete och sin insats att göra skillnad. Studien genomfördes med hjälp av kvalitativa intervjuer med sex manliga universitetsstudenter. Den huvudsakliga frågeställningen är hur det är möjligt att förstå värderingar och beteende hos män under utbildning. Den huvudsakliga teorin grundar sig i kognitiv dissonans för att belysa betydelsen kring skillnader mellan moral och handling. Teorin fokuserar även på problemen med sociala fällor i samhället. Resultatet visar att skillnader finns i människors miljöorinenterade beteendemönster, vilka orsakas av neutralitet eller brist på information. Resultaten visar även att individer som visar stort engagemang för miljöfrågor också ser fler hot mot den ekologiska hållbarheten eftersom de är mer insatta i ämnet. Resultaten visar också att miljövänliga handlingar uppfattas som etiskt korrekta och skadar självbilden om de inte genomförs. Genom att sammankoppla studenternas attityder, kognitiva dissonans och sociala fällor har tre generella karaktärstyper konstruerats och framställts i analysen. Slutsatsen är att uppmuntra populationen till grönare handlingar genom ett större samarbeten mellan organisationer och samhället där egenintresset inkluderas. Detta får populationens förtroende att växa och göra rationella beslut före samarbetet.

Syftet med denna studie var att få en djupare förståelse kring ungdomars attityder och deras upplevda livsvärld inför en möjlig legalisering av cannabis i Sverige. För att besvara syftet formulerade vi en frågeställning: Vilka tidigare kunskaper och erfarenheter formar ungdomarnas attityder till droger och hur ser deras attityder ut gentemot cannabis idag? Detta undersökte vi genom kvalitativa intervjuer med ungdomar mellan 15-20 år på ett kulturhus i en mellanstor stad i södra Sverige. Vi ville undersöka vad det är som påverkar ungdomarna i deras formande av attityder gentemot cannabis och en legalisering av cannabis i Sverige samt hur dessa attityder ser ut idag. För att få en så djup förståelse för individernas upplevda livsvärld som möjligt genomförde vi enskilda intervjuer med tio ungdomar som alla har olika erfarenheter och kunskaper. Resultatet visade att det finns en stor bristfällig kunskap när det kommer till droger i allmänhet samt att denna kunskap saknas både i skolan men också i hemmet. Det framkom också att många av ungdomarna någon gång hade provat cannabis eller befunnit sig i kretsar där ett brukande av cannabis pågick. Detta visade sig senare vara en stor bidragande faktor till deras attityder gentemot cannabis och en legalisering av cannabis i Sverige. Med hjälp av Festingers teori om kognitiv dissonans visade analysen att den kognitiva dissonansen var en bidragande faktor till deras attityder. Utifrån Scheffs teori om hänsynsemotionssystemet, med fokus på sociala band, skam och stolthet, bidrog tryggheten och otryggheten hos informanterna till deras attityder. Den otillräckliga kunskapen, tryggheten och otryggheten bildade tillsammans grunden för ungdomarnas attityder inför en möjlig legalisering av cannabis i Sverige. Utifrån Mead fanns det brister i rollövertagandet i formandet av deras attityder. / The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of young people's attitudes and their perceived life-world face a possible legalization of cannabis in Sweden. To answer the aim we formulated a question: What prior knowledge and experiences shape young people's attitudes to drugs and what are their attitudes towards cannabis today? This, we investigated through qualitative interviews with young people aged 15-20 years at an arts center in a medium large town in southern Sweden. We wanted to explore what affects the youth in their shaping of attitudes towards cannabis and legalization of cannabis in Sweden and how these attitudes are today. To gain a deeper understanding of individuals' perceived life-world as possible, we conducted individual interviews with ten young people who all have different experiences and knowledge. The results showed that there is a great lack of knowledge when it comes to drugs in general, and that this knowledge is lacking both in school but also at home. It also emerged that many of the young people had tried cannabis or been in circles where use of cannabis was ongoing. This later proved to be a major contributing factor to their attitudes towards cannabis and a legalization of cannabis in Sweden. Using Festingers theory of cognitive dissonance, the analysis showed that it was a contributing factor to their attitudes. Based on Scheffs theory of the “deference-emotion system”, focusing on social bonds, shame and pride, the security and insecurity of informants influence their attitudes. The insufficient knowledge, security and insecurity together formed the foundation for young people's attitudes towards a possible legalization of cannabis in Sweden. Based on Mead, there were deficiencies in the role takeover when shaping their attitudes.

In this thesis I scavenge the history of philosophy for answers to the question ‘How are claims to knowledge justified?’. I argue that Plato’s psychological doctrine of knowledge marks the starting point of a philosophical inquiry motivated by the possibility to discover foundations of knowledge through investigating the nature of mind. At the core of this inquiry lies the hypothesis that if the psychological mechanisms that govern the capacity for knowledge acquisition is fully understood, then answers will follow about why judgements are true or false. The prospective result of the inquiry is a theory of universal epistemic justification which demarcates epistemically warranted beliefs from unwarranted beliefs. I suggest that there is a historically persistent case of cognitive dissonance within the epistemological enterprise — a tension between two of its central theses — which is caused by the persistence of the of the hitherto unsuccessful but ongoing quest for universal epistemic justification, and its inciting promises. The contradicting theses are those of certain justification (that one is justified in believing that p only if p is entailed by evidence) and proportional justification (that one is proportionally justified in believing that p to the extent that evidence makes p credible). I discuss the consequences of giving up one of the respective theses. I conclude that the thesis of certain justification cannot be given up unless an adequate theory of proportional justification is proposed, and that the legacy of searching for universal epistemic justification will continue unless epistemologists are able to construct one.

The construct of cognitive control is often invoked to provide a mechanism responsible for information-processing in ill-defined situations. However, the dual-mechanism theory of cognitive control distinguishes between proactive and reactive varieties, and provides a more concrete framework for explaining behavior across various conditions. Importantly, although proactive and reactive control have been theorized to apply to differential performance observed in various clinical and aging populations, no empirical work has been conducted examining how this theory may apply to individual differences in working memory capacity within a young, healthy population. The current research directly assessed proactive versus reactive control by administering three versions of the AX version of the continuous performance test to individuals varying in working memory capacity. Across the task versions, specific trial type frequencies were manipulated to examine whether this variable interacted with WMC to cause individuals to engage in one control type over the other. In addition, the current work investigated whether individuals can change their mode of control on a trial-to-trial basis, something that had not previously been examined. Individuals low in working memory capacity exhibited specific performance deficits relative to the individuals high in working memory capacity. The results extend the application of the dual-mechanism theory to individual differences in working memory capacity and provide a theoretical framework to explain previous findings in the working memory capacity literature.