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6 pages/β‰ˆ1650 words
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5 Sources
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APA
Subject:
Psychology
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Essay
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English (U.S.)
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Topic:

Application of Cognitive Dissonance Theory and Attribution Theory to Improve Learning

Essay Instructions:

Assessment Description:
Applying theories to learning and instruction becomes problematic when theories contradict one another. For example, while cognitive dissonance theory asserts that beliefs and behaviors can influence attitudes, social attribution theory holds that people make causal inferences to explain others behaviors, actions, and mental states. In this assignment, you will revise your work on the self and interactions with the environment, contrast cognitive dissonance theory and social attribution theory, and you will consider how cognitive dissonance theory and attribution theory could be applied to improve learning and instruction. You will also consider the potential for personal worldview to countermand cognitive dissonance.
General Requirements:
Use the following information to ensure successful completion of the assignment:
Refer to your submission of "Benchmark - The Self and Interactions with the Environment."
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
Doctoral learners are required to use APA style for their writing assignments. The APA Style Guide is located in the Student Success Center.
Refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association for specific guidelines related to doctoral level writing. The Manual contains essential information on manuscript structure and content, clear and concise writing, and academic grammar and usage.
This assignment requires that at least two additional scholarly research sources related to this topic, and at least one in-text citation from each source be included.
Directions:
Write 1,500-1,750 words in which you contrast cognitive dissonance theory with attribution theory, consider how cognitive dissonance theory and attribution theory could be applied to improve learning and instruction, and consider the potential for personal worldview to countermand cognitive dissonance. This section should flow naturally from the revised paper. So, you may also need to revise your introduction and thesis statement to allow the ideas to connect. Include the following in your paper:
A discussion of the theoretical perspective and current research on cognitive dissonance theory. Provide examples that support the research claims. (Benchmarks C3.2: Analyze theoretical and empirical approaches to understanding mental processes.)
A discussion of the theoretical perspective and current research on social attribution theory. Provide examples that support the research claims.
A discussion of how cognitive dissonance theory and attribution theory could be applied to improve learning and instruction. How does research regarding interactions of the self and the environment influence your view? (Benchmarks C3.4: Apply the theories of cognitive psychology to learning and instruction.)
A discussion of personal worldview as a means to countermand cognitive dissonance. How might a distinctly Christian worldview function in this role?

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Cognitive Dissonance Theory and Attribution Theory
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Cognitive Dissonance Theory
Leon Festinger pioneered cognitive dissonance in the 1950s. He theorized that individuals experience cognitive dissonance in decision-making as they attempt to create internal psychological consistency. The distress arises when the individual experiences contradicting cognitions and is motivated to reduce the dissonance (Festinger, 1957). He claimed that distress (dissonance) stems from two actions or ideas that are inconsistent with each other. Individuals try to make them consistent, to be more comfortable.
This is one of the most influential and extensively studied theories in social psychology (Kaaronen, 2018). Thus, the theory has evolved and been scientifically criticized over the years, leading to new knowledge frontiers. One of the recent developments in this theory is by looking at the road to dissonance. In the new approach, Cooper (2019) posits that ‘the road to dissonance begins with the perception that we have brought about a consequence that is aversive.’ He defines this as ‘behavior that leads to a consequence that we would rather not have brought about. It is considered aversive and leads to the possibility of dissonance arousal’ (Cooper, 2019). This new approach to looking into dissonance through the process that leads to aversive behavior shows inconsistent representation and often produces unwanted consequences but not always. Therefore, this broadens the definition of dissonance to encompass the prior course of action that leads to the unwanted consequences irrespective of whether the behavior or cognition was consistent with the attitude.
Social Attribution Theory
This theory is concerned with how individuals attempt to explain behavior or events. Individuals tend to see the cause-and-effect relationships in every event and behavior and theorize the internal (dispositional) or external (situational) cause(s) that can explain it. Internal dispositions attribute the action or behavior to the individual’s personality traits. Situational causes attribute the cause of the action and or behavior to the environment or something beyond the control of the individual.
Since Heider pioneered this theory in the 1950s, other scholars have critically evaluated and developed it. Kelley’s Covariation Model, which was pioneered by Kelly in 1967, gives a framework for judging whether an action or behavior is dispositional or situational. He came up with three factors; consensus, distinctiveness, and consistency. One of this theory’s recent developments and highly researched areas is the fundamental attribution error 1033 (Healy, 2017). This is when an individual over-emphasizes the dispositional causes of behavior or action over situational factors (Kelley, 1967). It is a cognitive bias that attributes freely chosen behaviors to disposition. It is a widely researched area and has many off-shoot theories founded in the classical social attribution theory. Some include correspondence bias, actor-observer bias, self-serving bias, group-serving biases, and victim-blaming biases (Jhangiani & Tarry, 2015). These theories continue to be developed and ...
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