ERIC Number: ED404109
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1994
Pages: 33
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The Role of Cognitive Dissonance on the Science Attitudes of Middle School Students.
Misiti, Frank L., Jr.; Shrigley, Robert L.
Based on the tenets of Leon Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance, five preconditions for dissonance arousal were operationalized in a counterattitudinal essay writing task. The five preconditions were: perceived choice, irrevocable commitment, minimum incentive, perceived responsibility for consequences, and foreseeability of negative consequences of behavior. The sample was 141 middle school students enrolled in grades 6, 7, and 8. Subjects were asked to write essays on the theme "Why I like learning science," with the expectation that the essays would be publicly displayed and read by their peers. It was predicted that dissonance arousal following the essay writing task would be reduced by a positive attitude change in the direction of the counterattitudinal advocacy. The effect of grade level, gender, and three treatment levels on attitude change were assessed. A significant three-way interaction of grade level, gender, and treatment level on science attitude scores was found. (Author/AA)
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A