The self-consistency model of dissonance (Aronson, 1992) seeks to

qualify Festingers original, broad conception of cognitive

dissonance by including reference to the self. Describe Aronsons
model of cognitive dissonance and explain how it contrasts with
other models. Present and critically evaluate evidence for and
against the self-consistency model as an explanation of dissonance.
Discuss the ways in which we could use the self-consistency model
to explain contemporary Australian attitudes to refugees in
detention.
3 Components:
Describe the model/theory
Descriptive introductory part of the essay
Present and critically evaluate evidence for and against

Review relevant literature

Discuss the ways in which
Application of theory
Introduction
Locate the reader in the topic area, giving a brief overview of the
breadth of the topic and issues that have been of importance to
researchers. Then focus on your selected topic specifying
issues/subtopics that you intend to address and in what order
DESCRIBE- Intro
Body
Work through subtopics/issues that are relevant to your topic. Can
use subheadings where appropriate. PRESENT & CRITICALLY
EVALUATE the APPLY insights you have gained derived from critical
evaluation of literature then discuss the ways the model applies to
your topic.
Conclusion
Draw together the points that you have made in order to provide
your definitive response to the topic based upon your evaluation of
the topic. Specify limitations that might have occurred to you
relating to the theories, findings, and research methods that are
currently relevant
INTRODUCTION: Introduce the topic and the aim of the essay.
Cognitive dissonance is arguably social psychologys most important and most stimulating
theory. Leon Festinger was the first to investigate the precise workings of this phenomenon

and continued to elaborate his findings, he explained that this theory of cognitive dissonance
centers around the idea that if a person knows various things that are not psychologically
consistent with one another, he will, in a variety of ways, try to make them more consistent. It
is described by Aronson, Wilson & Akert (2013), as the feeling of discomfort that occurs
when an individual acts out an action that is inconsistent from his self-concept. Another way
that this can be interpreted is that it demonstrates how conflicting cognitions cause people to
strive for greater cognitive consistency. Cognitive dissonance is known for always producing
discomfort in response to this discomfort, it is only natural that an individual will seek to
reduce it. When an individual seeks to reduce dissonance it can lead to extraordinary changes
in the way they think about the world and even in the way they behave.
Leon Festingers theory sparked an interest regarding human social behaviour, and many new
theories later developed which one of them was the self-consistency model of dissonance.
Elliot Aronson expanded on Festingers theory by taking it a step further and introducing the
self-consistency model of dissonance (1992). In this theory she suggested that dissonance
theory makes its strongest and clearest prediction when the self-concept of the individual is
engaged dissonance is greatest and clearest when it involves not just any two cognitions but
rather a cognition about the self and a piece of our behaviour that violates that self-concept.

To elaborate on self-concept in the experience and reduction of dissonance and

suggesting that, in this regard most individuals strive for three things. Firstly to
preserve, a consistent, stable, predictable sense of self, secondly to preserve a
competent sense of self and thirdly to preserve a morally good sense of self. For
example what is dissonant is that an individuals cognition about their behaviour is
dissonant with the individuals self-concept as a sensible and competent person.
Aronson refined the theory as attitudes and behaviors are inconsistent (dissonant),
psychological discomfort result. His discomfort motivates the person experiencing it
to either change the behavior or the attitude so that consonance is restored. In a classic
experiment, Aronson demonstrated that people who undergo an embarrassing
initiation to gain admission to a group develop more favorable evaluations of the
group than people who are admitted after a mild or easy initiation. In Aronson's
Theories of Cognitive Consistency, he states: "Dissonance theory does not rest upon
the assumption that man is a rational animal; rather, it suggests that man is a
rationalizing animal that he attempts to appear rational, both to others and to
himself."
There are many different revisions of the dissonance theory apart from Aronsons that have
been proposed. This includes Steeles self-affirmation theory and Cooper and Fazios new
look at dissonance. Whereas Festingers dissonance theory hypothesised that individuals are
motivated to reconcile their inconsistent cognitions. Steele proposed that instead Individuals
are merely motivated to affirm the integrity of the self. / Individuals adapt to information or
experiences that are threatening to their self-concept. / Persons possess a motive to maintain
an overall self-image of moral and adaptive adequacy. He stated that dissonance-induced
attitude change occurs because dissonance threatens this positive self-image. LIKE SELF
CONISTENCY THEORY SELF AFFIRMATION POSITS THAT dissonance is aroused when
people engage in actions that pose a threat to their self-concept. But in contrast to the
consistency perspective, self-affirmation theory maintains that the primary goal of a
dissonance reduction strategy is not to rescue the specific self-image threatened by discrepant
behaviour. Instead the goal is to restore the moral and adaptive integrity of the overall selfsystem. This can be accomplished by focusing on other positive aspects of the self that hold
importance for global self-worth. The accessibility of the positive cognitions about the self
allow people to reduce their psychological discomfort without addressing directly the
discrepant cognitions. Overall positive cognitions about the self cause people to be less

vulnerable to dissonance arousal and reduction following a discrepant (inconsistent)

behaviour. The third theory that will be discussed in contrast to Aronsons model of selfconsistency will be the new look perspective model (Cooper and Fazio, 1984) which proposes
that the self and self-esteem concerns are irrelevant to dissonance arousal and reduction.
when individuals harm other people or themselves, they tend to enact behaviors that
diverge from their values; that is, their behaviors or inclinations tend to diverge from some
of their core motivations, reflecting a form of cognitive dissonance. Over time, individuals
thus associate such harmful behaviors with cognitive
dissonance. Cognitive dissonance, therefore, tend to evoke feelings of guilt, regret, or
similar emotions, inspiring people to change. When psychopathy is elevated, however,
individuals are not as susceptible to guilt or regret, and the effects of cognitive dissonance,
therefore, tend to dissipate.

Inhisselfconsistencytheory,ElliotAronsonproposedthatdissonanceisduenotmerelytoan
inconsistencybetweencognitions.Instead,hepositedthatdissonanceoccurswhenaperson
actsinawaythatviolateshisorherselfconcept,thatis,whenapersonperformsabehaviour
inconsistentwithhisorhersenseofself.Becausemostpersonshaveapositiveselfconcept,
dissonanceismostoftenexperiencedwhenapersonbehavesnegatively,behavinginan
incompetent,irrational,orimmoralmanner.Oneoftheprimarypredictionsderivedfromthis
revisionisthatlowandhighselfesteemindividualsshouldrespondwithlessandmore
dissonancereduction(e.g.,attitudechange),respectively,becauseindissonanceexperimentshigh
selfesteemindividualsareinducedtoactinwaysthataremorediscrepantfromtheirpositiveself
views.Experimentstestingthispredictionhaveproducedmixedresults.(Ramachandran,
2012)

Selfaffirmingtheory(steele1988
Symbolicselfcompletiontheory(wicklund
Selfevaluationmaintenancetheory(Tesser1988
Selfdiscrepancytheory(Higgins1989

Cognitive dissonance
According to cognitive dissonance theory, there is a tendency for individuals to seek
consistency among their cognitions (beliefs, expectations, or opinions of a particular individual).
When inconsistency does exist between these beliefs or attitudes, psychological tension
(dissonance) occurs and must be resolved through some action. This tension most often results
when an individual must choose between two incompatible beliefs or actions and is heightened
when alternatives are equally attractive to the individual. This tension state has drive-like
properties. If dissonance is experienced as an unpleasant drive state, the individual is motivated to
reduce it. However, it is not an easy state to reduce. Dissonance can be eliminated by reducing
the importance of the conflicting beliefs, by acquiring new beliefs that change the balance, or
removing the conflicting attitude or behavior. In theory, cognitive dissonance suggests that
actions have a causal relationship upon cognitions.