Cognitive Consistency

William D. Marelich

1. You have a friend named Jeff who likes to smoke cigarettes regularly. After attending a lecture on the grave cause–effect relationship between smoking and cancer, he quits. Why? 2. This evening, you will be meeting with two people, Chris and Jean. You really like Chris, but you don't like Jean. However, Chris really likes Jean. Over the course of the evening, do you think that your attitude toward Jean will change? 3. About 50 years ago, a small group of people were told by a spaceman that the world was going to end. They were also told that at an appointed date and time (December 21, at midnight), a “visitor” would come and take them to a spaceship to be saved from the pending cataclysm. The small group prepared for their departure for many weeks. When midnight struck on the December 21, nothing happened. Nobody came, nor did In ...

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