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Published Online:https://doi.org/10.1024/0044-3514.38.1.7

Abstract. Research and theoretical developments on the theory of cognitive dissonance are reviewed. After considering the self-consistency, self-affirmation, and aversive consequences revisions, the authors review research that has challenged each of the revisions and that supports the original version of the theory. Then, the authors review the action-based model of dissonance, which accepts the original theory's proposal that a sufficient cognitive inconsistency causes dissonance and extends the original theory by proposing why cognitive inconsistency prompts dissonance. Finally, the authors present results from experiments examining predictions derived from the action-based model and neural processes involved in dissonance reduction.


Die Theorie der kognitiven Dissonanz nach 50 Jahren der Entwicklung

Zusammenfassung. Forschung und theoretische Entwicklungen zur Theorie der kognitiven Dissonanz werden im Überblick dargestellt. Nach der Betrachtung dreier Weiterentwicklungen, die jeweils Selbstkonsistenz, “self-affirmation” bzw. aversive Verhaltenskonsequenzen betonen, besprechen die AutorInnen Forschungsergebnisse, welche jede dieser Weiterentwicklungen in Frage stellen und die Originalversion der Theorie stützen. Dann präsentieren sie das handlungsbasierte Dissonanzmodell. In diesem Modell wird die Annahme der ursprünglichen Theorie aufgegriffen, dass hinreichende kognitive Inkonsistenz Dissonanz verursacht, und es wird erklärt, warum dies der Fall ist. Abschließend werden Ergebnisse von Experimenten dargestellt, in denen Vorhersagen des handlungsbasierten Dissonanzmodells getestet und neuronale Prozesse, die bei der Dissonanzreduktion auftreten, untersucht wurden.

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