Worksheet 1 (Cognitive Dissonance) PDF

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Cognitive dissonance reading worksheet assignment...

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English 191 Questions for “The Role of Cognitive Dissonance in the Pandemic” Directions Please read the article and answer the following questions in complete sentences, using textual evidence where needed. Interpret the concepts and evaluate/make connections. Be sure to both quote passages (indicate paragraph #) and interpret the passages using your own words. While you answer these questions, remember the meaning-making approach to reading and discussing: Quote – Interpret – Evaluate & Connect 1. Quote/Interpret: The authors define “cognitive dissonance” as “the discomfort people feel when two cognitions, or a cognition and a behavior, contradict each other” (para. 3). Rewrite this definition in your own terms, making sure you understand it well enough to teach someone else about cognitive dissonance. When a person has conflict between one’s beliefs and the truth. 2. Interpret: The authors state that “cognitive dissonance” is “the motivational mechanism that underlies the reluctance to admit mistakes or accept scientific findings” (para. 2). What do they mean? Why is cognitive dissonance a “motivational mechanism”? This means, the person starts doubting one’s ideas/beliefs about a certain thing, it helps either make those beliefs and ideas strong, or to give them up and accept the facts. It’s a motivational mechanism because it provides the foundation for change within a person. Helps them challenge their ideas, and change.

3. Connect: Can you describe a positive character trait that is an important aspect of your identity—honesty, integrity, bravery, kindness, intelligence, etc. Why do you value this trait highly? Have you ever been in a situation where that aspect of your identity was challenged or threatened, by yourself (for example by your conscience or from selfdoubt), or by someone else? How did you react? Integrity – I started doubting my skills, after watching my teammates for a group project perform better, I tried to evaluate my skills, and learn where I was lacking. 4. Interpret/Connect: According to the authors, what do people tend to do when confronted with 2 cognitions or a cognition and a behavior that contradict? Give a real or hypothetical example of such a quandary. Can you think of moments in history when many people would likely have experienced this? People usually tend to stick to what they believe rather what is the truth. Recently in COVID times, people tend to believe in their own understanding rather than scientific knowledge.

5. Connect: Do you have allegiances that may cause a conflict between what you believe or do and what you may learn or experience? Can you think of a time when you (or someone you know) faced such a conflict? Religious beliefs – drinking, question on the existence of god. My roommate last year was an atheist, we talked about religion sometimes, we had conflicting beliefs over existence of god. 6. Interpret/Connect: What do the authors warn can happen when we put a lot of resources (time, money, whatever) into a decision (para. 4-5)? Have you ever experienced or observed this—with a major purchase, a move, a job change, etc.? What are some pros and cons of this phenomenon? Sometimes we force our own beliefs even when we doubt our beliefs. I worked freelancing for three years, I no longer use my freelance profile, but I still keep it updated. Pros can be I might still start working on it again, cons are I invest a lot of time on it. Hard to let go.

7. Connect: Can you think of a time when you changed your mind about something? Explain the situation. What provoked the change? Did you resist? Was it quick or something that took place slowly over a period of time? Did it affect your relationships with other people? What was your understanding before and after? How did you feel before? During? After? Eating habits – Weight loss, I did resist a little bit, it took me over two weeks to get started. Healthy eating is good for health, I though I wasn’t eating healthy.

8. Interpret/Evaluate: How do the authors suggest we react when faced with a situation that produces cognitive dissonance? How are the questions they provide (para. 13) supposed to help us cope with the initial conflict we feel? Do you think the questions would be helpful for you? We feel uneasy, and experience internal conflict. We evaluate our understanding; these question is helpful in starting to resolve this internal conflict.

9. Interpret/Evaluate: At the end, the article describes the challenge of convincing a resistant family member to wear a mask. What is the article recommending not saying when trying to change their mind? Why? What might be an alternate strategy? Have you ever had an experience of trying unsuccessfully to change someone’s mind? Don’t imply that they are intellectually incapable, make people who are from the same background who have already changed their mind of something talk to that person. My friend thought since he was a information systems major, he thinks he doesn’t need to put much effort in goal classes, I tried to convince him, but the attempt was unsuccessful.

10. Evaluate: What do we know about the authors? Do they have the authority or credibility (ethos) to write an article such as this? The authors are social psychologists. They have invested time and effort in gaining the knowledge about the subject, and its importance, so I think they have the authority to write such an article.

11. Connect/Evaluate: Here is a famous quote from an essay by F. Scott Fitzgerald: “the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” Please comment freely on this quote and how it connects to the article and/or to your experiences. It removes rigidity in the personality, people are more open to new ideas, this can help people function better with the ability to learn more and have a better understanding of people from different backgrounds....