Description
Book Synopsis'Dr. Joel Cooper has been at the very forefront of research on dissonance theory for decades now. In this book, he provides a brilliant and engagingly-written review of the 50-year history of dissonance research and a masterful account of the ensuing developments in the theory. The book will be an outstanding resource for readers familiar with dissonance research and an enlightening introduction for those who are not'
- Professor Russell H. Fazio, Ohio State University
Why is it that people who smoke continue to do so knowing how bad it is for them? What drives people to committing adultery even though they inherently believe this is wrong? What's the outcome of this contradiction in the mind?
Cognitive dissonance has been an important and influential theory since Leon Festinger published his classic work in 1957. It is known by every social psychologist, most psychologists of any stripe, and the lay public, making its way into such mainstre
Trade Review
Cooper (Princeton) does a superb job summarizing research on the concept of cognitive dissonance since it was first elucidated by Leon Festinger in the 1950s...Cooper brings a much-needed historical perspective to cognitive dissonance, and he peppers his discussion with interesting personal anecdotes. Political analysts as well as psychologists will be interested in the specific conditions that elicit cognitive dissonance."
—CHOICE -- D.J. Winchester
This book is fun to read!...Cooper takes care to delineate those studies that were particularly important in their purpose, particularly clever in their design, and most groundbreaking in their results. He makes a gripping story of the inception and march of progress in what could have been simply a long series of interesting research projects. In doing so, he made me nostalgic for a time when the field of psychology was alive with excitement and overrun with research topics that actually made sense to those outside a narrow specialty and that meant something to the citizenry." —Alan Cheney, PSYCCRITIQUES -- Alan Cheney * PSYCCRITIQUES *
Table of Contents
Cognitive Dissonance In the Beginning Criticism Propels the Theory Forward The Motivational Property of Dissonance Dissonance is not what it used to be The New Look Model of Dissonance The Self-Standards Model and the Emergence of the Self in Dissonance Theory Vicarious Cognitive Dissonance Experiencing Dissonance Through The Actions of Another Culture, Race and Cognitive Dissonance Cognitive Dissonance in Today′s World
