You have read the research on the importance of exercise, and you want to begin an exercise program, but you haven't so far, which creates a great deal of cognitive dissonance for you. Describe the concept of cognitive dissonance, and explain how your cognitive dissonance regarding exercising might be reduced using each of five strategies
What will be an ideal response?
Answer will include that cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable clash between one's self-image, thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, or perceptions and one's behavior. Thus, a clash exists between the thought that you need to exercise for your health and your behavior of not exercising. In order to reduce the dissonance, you might (1) change your attitude and say that "Exercise is really not that important for good health.". You might also reduce dissonance by (2) adding consonant thoughts, such as saying "I always take the stairs and walk a great deal on campus between classes, so I am really exercising.". Dissonance might also be reduced by (3) changing the importance of the dissonant thoughts, such as saying "Even if I'm not exercising, my diet is healthy, and I take good care of my health, so a special exercise plan is not that necessary.". (4) Reducing the amount of one's perceived choice could also reduce dissonance, such as saying, "My schedule is so hectic that I really don't have time for exercise each day.". Lastly, you could (5) change your behavior and actually begin an exercise program, starting a couple of times a week.
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Explain the results of Albert Bandura's experiment involving a Bobo doll, and note how it illustrates the social learning approach to understanding aggression.
What will be an ideal response?
According to the textbook, human intuition is typically an excellent guide to understanding human behavior
Indicate whether the statement is true or false
The age-related biological changes that occur during the first decades of adulthood
affect all areas of functioning equally. increase the risk of death. are of little consequence under normal circumstances. affect athletic performance but not sexual performance.
In a study that is described in the textbook regarding the relationship between self-handicapping and gender in college students, the researchers found a tendency toward self-handicapping
a. in males only. b. in females only. c. in both males and females. d. when participants were led to believe they had done better than expected.