Cognitive Dissonance Theory

True or False? Consonance occurs when cognitive elements are inconsistent with each other.

• True

• False

Which of the following is an example of this theory applied in mass media?

• Liking a post on Instagram even though you do not follow that account.

• Watching a major news channel that aligns with your political beliefs.

• Facebook and Instagram users being able to hide or blacks ads that they do not want to see.

• Clicking a link to a product from an ad on social media.

True or False? Cognitions are all of the conscious/unconscious processes involved in problem-solving, reasoning, judgment, and perception.

• False

• True

Which of the following is a way to reduce dissonance?

• Keeping behaviors the same.

• Spending more time looking at news sources on social media.

• Changing one's perception of the world and information of the world around them.

• Surrounding yourself with people who have the same thoughts and beliefs as you do.

Cognitive dissonance is when a person's beliefs ________ align with their actions.

Which of the following is an example of how the cognitive dissonance theory is used in public relations?

• Using body images of celebrities to advertise a new weight loss medicine.

• Animal shelter commercials show poorly treated animals in order to get you to adopt or foster an animal.

• Non-profit organizations show images of a traumatic event or natural disaster to persuade you to donate to the cause.

• All of the above

How confident do you feel about the ins and outs of the cognitive dissonance theory?

• Extremely confident

• Somewhat confident

• In the middle- still needing some more information

• Not very confident

• I'm totally lost