Festinger and Carlsmith (1959) Performed an Experiment in Which Subjects

question 44

Multiple Choice

Festinger and Carlsmith (1959) performed an experiment in which subjects were asked to lie to a "fellow student" for either $1 or $20. For subjects in the $1 condition, dissonance was created by the cognitions "I am an ethical person" and "I have told a lie." Based on the results of this study, which of the following statements best expresses how subjects probably reduced this dissonance?

• A) "I did not really tell a lie-what I said is quite true."
• B) "Though I told that person a lie and I know it, what she doesn't know won't hurt her."
• C) "Lying is a terrible thing."
• D) "I guess I'm not really a very ethical person at all."

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Definitions:

Marginal Cost

The additional financial burden of producing one more unit of a product or service.

Break-even Price

The price level at which a business does not make a profit or a loss.

Long Run

In economics, the period in which all inputs can be adjusted, with no fixed costs, allowing for full adjustment to changes in the market.

Industry Supply Curve

A graphical representation showing the total quantity of a good that producers in an industry are willing to supply at various prices.