An Experimental Study of the Effects of Participation, Authoritarianism, and Feedback on Cognitive Dissonance in a Standard Setting Situation

THESE EFFECTS UPON MOTIVATION MAY DETER THE MOTIVATIONS NECESSARY FOR EFFICIENT PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. THESE ADVERSELY AFFECT COGNITIVE-DISSONANCE AND POST-DECISIONAL MODES OF DISSONANCE REDUCTION IN BOTH CHANNELED AND UNCHANNELED COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS. IN BOTH THERE WAS LITTLE DIFFERENCE. THE MODEL USED THE OHIO STATE LEADER BEHAVIOR DESCRIPTION QUESTIONNAIRE, APPLIED TO 81 UNDERGRADUATES. AUTHORITARIANISM PRODUCED NO DISCERNIBLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRE- AND EXPERIMENTAL SITUATIONS. BOTH CDRS AND CDQ INDICATED DISSONANCE REDUCTION DID NOT OCCUR UNTIL FEEDBACK WAS PRESENTED, RESULTING IN MORE COMMITTMENT TO STANDARDS. FEEDBACK WAS SYNONYMOUS WITH REWARD, BUT THE MODE OF DISSONANCE REDUCTION THROUGH COMMITMENT IS SHAKY. POST-EXPERIMENTAL QUESTIONING REVEALED EGO INVOLVEMENT IN PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. CHARTS.