![]() You’ve probably heard of cognitive dissonance before – it’s more widely known than self-perception theory. One idea in particular is cognitive dissonance. Self-perception theory challenges a lot of current ideas about how people make decisions and justify their actions. Self-Perception Theory and Cognitive Dissonanceĭo our behaviors influence or attitudes? Many would think that the opposite occurs. ![]() As the members commit more violent and extreme behaviors, they may change their attitudes to justify their actions. How does self-perception theory play out here? The researchers believed that attitudes may follow behaviors throughout their involvement in the organization. Psychologist Rosanna Guadagno and her team looked at people who joined extreme terrorist organizations. One study in 2010 involved behaviors more extreme than just lying for $1. ![]() The original experiments on self-perception theory took place in the 1970s, but notable studies on the same theory have continued until 2010. So Bem concluded that the participants assessed their own attitudes based on the behavior presented. The participants in the study were not given any insight into the man’s financial situation, the nature of the testimony, or other factors that would contribute to the man’s behavior. This isn’t a situation that most people find themselves in. The first group was more likely to believe that the man lied because he enjoyed lying. Both groups were asked to assess the man’s attitudes toward lying. The other group listened to a scenario in which the man gave a false testimony for $20. One group listened to a scenario in which a man gave a false testimony for $1. His first study on self-perception theory asked participants to listen to one of two scenarios. So how did Bem come to his conclusion? In the late 1960s, he used the idea that the way people assess another person’s attitude is a mirror of their own attitude. Maybe the behaviors were a new experience or the person’s attitudes weren’t completely formed before the behavior occurred.īem’s theory also suggests that the assessment is based on external factors (aka behavior) rather than internal factors (mood, judgement, etc.) Bem’s theory suggests that people develop attitudes by observing behaviors. Bem and Self-Perception Theoryĭaryl Bem was the first psychologist to write about self-perception theory. This theory seems counterintuitive, but multiple studies starting in the 1970s prove that behaviors can influence attitudes. Why does this work? It seems counterintuitive that our behaviors (the smile) would influence our attitudes (happiness.)īut that’s the ideas presented by the self-perception theory. The people who were asked to smile during the experiment reported that they were happier than those who were asked to frown. After the experiment, he assessed their attitudes. It sounds silly, but it works! In the 1970s, James Laird conducted a series of experiments on participants in which he asked them to tense their facial muscles in a way that would make them smile or frown. Smile for long enough and your mood will start to improve. If you’ve seen any of my videos about affirmations and body language, you might have heard this piece of advice: Before you walk into a room, look in the mirror and smile.
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