A comparison of cognitive consistency was conducted across two cultural groups. Forty-five American subjects in Southern California and 45 subjects in Northern Greece responded to a questionnaire written in their native language and which contained three classical paradigms for balance theory. It was hypothesized that significant differences in responding to cognitive imbalance would emerge in cross-cultural comparisons. As predicted, highly significant differences were detected in the subjects' responses to cognitive inconsistency with balance effect being inoperative in the Greek cultural group. In addition, a unique contribution to the cognitive balance effect in the American sample was demonstrated by the college age group. In the discussion, the validity of a universally operative model of cognitive consistency as an irresistable tendency to resolve cognitive imbalances by an automatic adjustment of attitudes is questioned. (Author)