A study examining the arousal properties of the forced compliance situation

An experiment was performed to evaluate the arousal mechanism proposed by dissonance theory as mediating attitude change in the forced compliance situation. In a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design subjects were given choice or no choice (2) to write counterattitudinal essays, and were asked about their attitudes either before or after performance (2) on either a simple or complex task (2). The results showed that subjects performed best on the simple task when they had been given choice, and attitude assessment occurred after task performance. Attitude change was manifested in all of the choice conditions but in none of the no choice conditions. A factor analysis of self-report data supported the hypothesis that concern about responsibility for negative consequences is associated with attitude change. However, there was no indication of any relationship between arousal, attitude change, and task performance.