Festinger and Carlsmith (1959) Performed a Famous Experiment on Cognitive

question 162

Multiple Choice

Festinger and Carlsmith (1959) performed a famous experiment on cognitive dissonance in which subjects were asked to lie to a fellow student (about how fun a psychology experiment was) for either $1 or $20. For subjects in the $1 condition, dissonance was created because these subjects thought to themselves: "I am a nice, ethical person, but I have just been mean and told a lie." It appears that the $1 subjects were ultimately able to reduce this dissonance by thinking to themselves: ____.

• A) "I did not really tell a lie because the experiment was not that boring. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I think that it was kind of fun!"
• B) "I know I told that person a lie. But so what? There are bigger problems in this world!!"
• C) "Lying is a terrible thing. I swear that I will never do it again."
• D) "Whatever! I got $1 for doing almost nothing! Good deal!!"

---

Definitions:

Originality

The quality of being novel or unusual; the ability to think independently and creatively.

Inventiveness

The quality of being skilled at inventing, devising, or contriving new ideas, methods, or devices.

Vision

A forward-looking statement or concept that outlines what an organization or individual aspires to achieve in the future.

Creativity And Innovation

The ability to generate new ideas, solutions, or novel approaches, which can lead to new or improved products, services, or processes.