Open AccessOn the Characteristics of the Cognitive Dissonance State: Exploration Within the Pleasure Arousal Dominance Model
Author(s) -
Alexandre Bran,
David Vaidis
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
psychologica belgica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.511
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 2054-670X
pISSN - 0033-2879
DOI - 10.5334/pb.517
Subject(s) - cognitive dissonance , pleasure , psychology , dominance (genetics) , arousal , cognition , self perception theory , social psychology , self justification , cognitive psychology , psychotherapist , biochemistry , chemistry , neuroscience , gene
Little is actually known about the nature and characteristics of the cognitive dissonance state. In this paper, we review the actual knowledge and the main limitations of past studies. Then, we present two studies that investigate the characteristics of the cognitive dissonance state from the perspective the Pleasure Arousal Dominance model of emotion. Study 1 ( N = 102) used the hypocrisy paradigm and Study 2 ( N = 130) used a counterattitudinal essay. In Study 1, participants in the Dissonance condition reported less Pleasure with each inconsistent behaviour remembered. In Study 2, participants in the Dissonance condition reported less Pleasure than participants in the Control Condition. In both studies, no significant difference was found on the Arousal and Dominance indexes. These results are among the first to link cognitive dissonance to a general model of emotions, an approach that should be pursued further.