Storming Media: Pentagon Reports and DocumentsPentagon Reports: Fast. Definitive. Complete.     
New Account »
Forgot Password?
Advanced Search »

SOCIAL COMPARISON AND DISSONANCE REDUCTION IN SELF-EVALUATION.

Authors: Martin Fishbein ; Bertram H. Raven ; Ronda Hunter; CALIFORNIA UNIV LOS ANGELES
Abstract:
Students were asked to estimate (1) what score they would obtain on an examination; and (2) their minimal goal (the lowest score with which they would be satisfied). Data from a total of 760 students are analyzed to determine the bases of self-evaluation. Members of one class received no information before making evaluations. Members of a second class were given a score presumably made by pre-medical students, before these respondents made their estimates on each exam. Members of a third class were given no information on the first exam; on the second exam, half were given presumed scores of male pre-med students, half were given scores of female education students. Contrary to suggestions by Rotter (1954), it was found that minimal goals were no more resistant to change than expected scores. Changes in minimal goals and expected scores tended to occur so as to minimize discrepancies, thus reduce dissonance in accordance with Festinger's theory (1957). Individual's self-evaluations are influenced by reference norms, but only in the absence of a more objective criterion for self-evaluation, such as knowledge of previous performance. (Author)

Description: Technical rept. no. 9 on Dynamics of Social Influence
Pages: 26
Report Date: 02 JUL 1962
Contract Number: NONR23354
Report Number: 0588182

Report Unavailable

This title is unavailable from Storming Media. We do not know when it might be available, if at all. We list the report on our site for bibliographic completeness, to help our users know what other work has been performed in this field. Please note that as with all titles on this site, we do not have contact information for any of the authors. Nor can we give any suggestions on how one might obtain this report.
Keywords relating to this report:
BEHAVIOR
GROUP DYNAMICS
PSYCHOLOGY
REACTION (PSYCHOLOGY)
REASONING
SOCIAL COMMUNICATION
THEORYZ
THEORYZGROUP DYNAMICS
Email This Abstract