Reference Information
Title: Opening Skinner's Box
Author: Lauren Slater
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company (2008)
Chapter 5: Quieting the Mind (20 pages)
Slater focuses on the theory of cognitive dissonance in this chapter. She begins with some of Festinger's experiments.She first talks about his observations about those who believed a flood was coming and the arousal of dissonance that occurred when the prophecy failed to manifest. Slater also talked about an experiment Festinger did involving $1 or $20. Subjects were to do a dull, monotonous task and then lie to another group about it (basically say it was awesome when it wasn't). He found that if a person were to be induced to change his/her opinion on some matter, they likely will to correspond with what he/she is saying. He also found that the larger the pressure to change one's opinion beyond the minimum needed for that change, the less powerful the tendency is to change.
Slater also talked about Audrey Santo, daughter of Linda Santo. Linda claimed her daughter to be a saint that God chose to be a "victim soul", a soul that takes on the pain of others.
Discussion
I see cognitive dissonance occur all the time. Especially with new technology: buyer's remorse.
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