Cognitive reorganization following a disconfirmed expectancy.

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Abstract
Tested some derivations from dissonance theory regarding the cognitive effects of undergoing an unpleasant experience to prepare oneself for an unpleasant treatment only to discover that it would not be necessary to receive that treatment. Pleasantness of preparation for the expected treatment and choice in undergoing this preparation were experimentally varied. The different conditions of pleasantness failed, in general, to produce the cognitive changes expected. Choice consistently affected the dependent variables in a direction opposite to that predicted, so that Ss having a high degree of choice in undergoing the preparation thought the experiment was less valuable (p < .05), were less willing to recruit other Ss (p < .01), and perceived the preparation as somewhat more unpleasant (.10 < p < .20) than their counterparts who were given no choice in the matter. (32 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

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