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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 9 page research paper that investigates the relationship between cognitive dissonance and racism. The writer argues that if people's true feelings do not match their outward show of non-racist attitudes, it sets up a situation in which cognitive dissonance would propel individuals into, at least privately, rationalizing their any racist attitudes, which would ultimately serve to keep racism alive and well in a covert manner, and that the two research studies profiled support this contention. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Page Count:
9 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khcogdis.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
and instances of overt racism are not uncommon. On the other hand, among the vast majority of peoples making up Western culture, it is no longer considered "politically correct" to
be overtly racist. According to Akrami, Ekehammar and Araya (2000), researchers agree that overt demonstrations of racist attitudes have declined. However, if peoples true feelings do not match their outward
show of non-racist attitudes, it sets up a situation in which cognitive dissonance would propel individuals into, at least privately, rationalizing their any racist attitudes, which would ultimately serve to
keep racism alive and well in a covert manner. Cognitive Dissonance Theory Cognitive Dissonance Theory was developed by Leon Festinger in 1957 and concerns the relationships among cognitions (Rudolph,
2003). As a term, "cognition" is defined as a "piece of knowledge" (Rudolph, 2003). This knowledge can concern "an attitude, an emotion, (or) a value" (Rudolph, 2003). For instance, the
knowledge that individual likes sushi is a cognition. The fact that the Supreme Court has outlawed school segregation is a cognition, as well. As this suggests, people hold a plethora
of simultaneous cognitions. When two cognitions are dissonant, it is because one cognition is diametrically opposed to another (Rudolph, 2003). Festinger postulates that when this occurs, it puts the individual
into a state of psychological dissonance, which, in turn, produces an unpleasant tension (Rudolph, 2003). According to Festinger, this tension produces drive-like qualities similar to those of hunger and thirst.
Someone who is hungry experiences a drive to reduce an unpleasant state of bodily tension by finding food. However, cognitive dissonance cannot be so easily remedied. If individuals hold
opinions and attitudes toward racism that do not fit within accepted societal parameters, i.e. if they harbor racist attitudes that are considered "politically incorrect," one way of decreasing cognitive dissonance
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