Self-Efficacy and Cognitive Dissonance on Behavior and Attitude Change in the Environmental Domain

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2012
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Haverford College. Department of Psychology
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Thesis
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Award
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eng
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Haverford users only
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Abstract
The present study aimed to find ways of increasing behavior in environmental contexts by identifying the reason for the gap between our attitudes and behaviors using two central theories on behavior change, the Theory of Self-Efficacy and the Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. Using a sample of undergraduates from the Haverford College and Bryn Mawr College campuses, we examined the relationship between the two theories in a lab study focusing on conservational and environmental attitudes and behaviors. In a 2x3 study, participants were randomly assigned to one of two self-efficacy conditions (low, high) and one of three dissonance conditions (public advocacy, private reflection, advocacy + reflection [dissonance]). The findings from the study did not support our hypotheses, but due to limitations in the current study design (floor effect of behavior and ceiling effect of attitudes), no conclusions can be made on the relationship between selfefficacy and cognitive dissonance.
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