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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Cognitive dissonance in the placebo treatment of insomnia -- a pilot experiment.

Insomnia in 11 general hospital in-patients was treated by a placebo. The conditions of administration of the placebo were experimentally varied, and a hypothesis derived from Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory was tested. Consistent with this hypothesis, it was found that patients who were required to make meaningful decisions concerning their treatment derived significantly greater hypnotic (therapeutic) value from it than did patients whose treatment was simply administered to them and who were not required to make such decisions. The power of cognitive dissonance theory to explain the placebo effect, and the therapeutic potential of this approach are discussed.

Adult

Cognitive dissonance in behavior therapy: some basic treatment strategies.

As the behavioral model becomes liberalized and more encompassing very different frameworks may offer treatment resources. Several treatment techniques derived from cognitive-dissonance theory are discussed in the context of relevant theoretical postulates. Most of the techniques may be applied as needed regardless of the orientation of the practitioner.

Behavior Therapy

Observers' focus of attention in the simulation of self-perception.

This research was designed to assess the effects of a manipulation of observers' focus of attention--from a focus on the actor to a focus on the actor's situation--upon observers' attributions of attitude to an actor in a simulation of a forced-compliance cognitive dissonance experiment. Observers induced through empathy instructions to focus attention on the actor's situation inferred less actor attitude positivity than did observers given no specific observational set. In addition, situation-focused observers inferred that the actor's attitude was directly related to reward magnitude, whereas actor-focused observers inferred that the actor's attitude was inversely related to reward magnitude. An extension of self-perception theory, offered as an interpretation of these and other results, suggested that motivation attribution made by actors and observers in dissonance and simulation studies are dependent on focus of attention. The attributions made by actor-focused observers simulate those of objectively self-aware actors and are based upon perceived intrinsic motivation; the attributions of situation-focused observers simulate those of subjectively self-aware actors and are based upon perceived extrinsic motivation.

Attention

Behavior modification in the treatment of hypertension.

This study examines the use of a behavior modification program as an adjunct to the medical treatment of essential hypertension. The subjects, outpatients with medically treated, but uncontrolled, essential hypertension, were exposed to group interaction (including such processes as peer reinforcement, peer competition, and cognitive dissonance), individual blood pressure monitoring, stimulus control, and direct social influence. The control subjects received only routine medical treatment for their hypertension. Results indicated that the experimental subjects significantly decreased their diastolic blood pressures between pre- and post-treatment measures (spanning a period of four weeks), whereas the control subjects showed no such change. Thus it appears possible to use behavior modification to help in the treatment of essential hypertension.

Behavior Therapy

The mechanisms underlying attributive projection.

The experiment investigated the validity of the cognitive dissonance reduction and stimulus generalization explanations of attributive projection. Subjects in a high dissonance condition were informed that they possessed considerable hostility (a negative trait), while those in a low dissonance condition were told that they possessed a great deal of assertiveness (a desirable trait). The dissonance mechanism received support in that (a) subjects' reports of their anxiety indicated that an ego threat was produced only in the high dissonance condition, as expected; and (b) hostility was projected onto others to a significantly greater degree than was assertiveness. The existence of only a weak relationship between degree of ego threat produced by the personality feedback and subsequent amount of projection, however, throws into question the validity of the hypothesized defensive function of projection. No support for the generalization mechanism was obtained since the subjects did not project a greater amount of either trait onto the similar targets (college students) than onto the relatively dissimilar targets (middle-aged lawyers); possible reasons for this negative result were discussed, as well as suggestions for future research.

Anxiety