Research article summary (published 29 Sep 2007):

Cognitive dissonance and the perception of natural environments.

Full Abstract

Two studies demonstrated that the motivation to resolve cognitive dissonance affects the visual perception of physical environments. In Study 1, subjects crossed a campus quadrangle wearing a costume reminiscent of Carmen Miranda. In Study 2, subjects pushed themselves up a hill while kneeling on a skateboard. Subjects performed either task under a high-choice, low-choice, or control condition. Subjects in the high-choice conditions, presumably to resolve dissonance, perceived the environment to be less aversive than did subjects in the low-choice and control conditions, seeing a shorter distance to travel (Study 1) and a shallower slope to climb (Study 2). These studies suggest that the impact of motivational states extends from social judgment down into perceptual processes.

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Author information

Author/s: Balcetis, Emily (E); Dunning, David (D);

Affiliation: Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA. balcetis@ohio.edu

Grants: R01 56072 (Agency:United States PHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Journal: Psychological science : a journal of the American Psychological Society / APS (Psychol Sci), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Oct; vol 18 (issue 10) : pp 917-21

Dates: Created 2007/09/26; Completed 2007/12/14;

PMID: 17894610, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Choice Behavior - physiology Cognitive Dissonance Distance Perception - physiology Emotions - physiology Environment Female

Humans Judgment - physiology Male Motivation Students - psychology Visual Perception - physiology

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