Discussion Post on Cognitive Dissonance Theory and Introduction to Communication Theory

Every person has the right to their own set of values, attitudes, and beliefs that they have acquired throughout the course of their lives. The individuals in an individual’s immediate environment, such as their family, friends, the community, and their everyday experiences, are things and factors that affect how they see the world. This encourages someone to ponder carefully before gathering any information. Information about someone’s thinking should only be obtained from someone with strong moral principles. It may come from professionals that are mindful of their own views and values and who also desire to help their businesses; they try not to put coerce ideas to clients.

Question 2

Researchers have tested theories in an attempt to disapprove them. This act is known as testability, it aims is to make a theory appear false. It has been hard for researchers to disapprove the cognitive dissonance theory for a long time. Researchers have reached a point where they argued that since the Cognitive Dissonance theory states that dissonance tends to motivate individuals to act, then, what would happen in situations when people refuse to act (Littlejohn & Foss, 2009). The defendants of the theory say is that dissonance might have been weaker, rather than having a concluding statement that proves the theory wrong. This makes it hard for researchers to disprove the theory (Littlejohn & Foss, 2009).

Cognitive definition theory is helpful, especially if one wants to control other peoples’ emotions. However, there comes to situations when organizations will require getting definitive results. There are a number of tests that can be performed with one of them being the Asch experiment. The Asch experiment investigates the level in which social pressure coming from many people can affect an individual in conforming. This experiment provides a definitive answer that is obvious with the line of the question. If an individual gets an incorrect answer than the higher possibility is due to the group pressures.

Question 3

The theory of hegemony explains the process that involves the struggle to achieve a permanent ceaseless control over the peoples’ minds and hearts. In the cultural studies, the theory of hegemony is depicted as an ideology that is all encompassed. Antonio Gramsci argues that for hegemony to be achieved, the dominant ideologies should rarely be instituted to be dominant, especially by force of coercion. However, the peoples’ consent will ensure the domination of the ideology. For consent to be achieved, normally one voice is considered to be radical, but more than one or a handful of voices will be appropriate for the right kind of social movement. Cognitive dissonance theory compliments the hegemony theory. The effects created by a mass of people motivate others to do so because they have a belief that the action is right. This is simply because of the notion created by the mass. Cognitive dissonance theory is a good tool that can be used in the social and political events (Littlejohn & Foss, 2009). This is simply because it translates people’s thoughts of conflict to an emotion and belief that is at equilibrium with that in the current situation.

References

Littlejohn, S. W., & Foss, K. A. (2009). Encyclopedia of communication theory (Vol. 1). Sage.