Faculty Articles

Attitude change and achievement: Dissonabce theory in education

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1977

Publication Title

Journal of Educational Research

ISSN

0022-0671

Volume

70

Issue/No.

3

Abstract

Cognitive dissonance theory assumptions were used in a formal program of attitude change in order to improve student attitude toward an instructional activity. Student achievement in this instructional activity was then measured to determine if achievement was influenced by student attitude toward instruction. Two hundred eighteen Ss were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups. Analysis of variance tests were used to evaluate experimental hypotheses and an .05 level of significance was selected. Results demonstrated that it was possible to experimentally improve student attitudes toward the instructional activity ip .0001) by a camouflaged treatment requiring Ss to commit themselves on videotape. Achievement differences were not significant, but trends supported the hypotheses that achievement scores tended to be higher for students who had their attitudes toward course content experimentally improved while other variables were untreated.

DOI

10.1080/00220671.1977.10884976

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