THE EFFECT OF FORCED COMPLIANCE OF RECOGNITION.
Abstract
The prupose of this thesis is to present a study of the effects of cognitive dissonance upon the processes of learning and the changing of attitudes toward test preferences. Dissonance was induced by changing only three words in the instructions given to all subjects. All subjects in the control group were told they would receive credit and be allowed to take the type of tests they preferred. In addition, they were told that the results of their efforts would be used in the study. Analysis of the data revealed that no cretid (dissonance) subjects attained a significantly higher mean recall score than credit subjects. Those subjects (both credit and no credit) who were allowed to take the tests they least preferred had a net attitude change toward the tests taken which was considerably higher than those subjects who were allowed to take the tests they most preferred. Analysis of a postexperimental survey revealed that dissonant subjects did not feel any obligation to the experimenter nor did they feel forced to participate in the experiment. Each indicated that they felt free to leave the experiment until such time as they actually committed themselves to participate. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1964
- Accession Number
- AD0432753
Entities
Organizations
- Purdue University