Students who had done a very dull task were paid either Rs. 10 or Rs. 400 to tell others that the task was interesting. Some weeks later, the students paid Rs. 10 described the task as more interesting than those paid Rs. 400. Which of the following explains the change in the Rs. 10 group?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Cognitive dissonance
Option (1) Learning through reward and punishment — Incorrect. Learning through reward and punishment would predict more liking for those who got the bigger reward. Here the smaller payment led to more change, so reward cannot explain it.
Option (2) Balance in the P-O-X triangle — Incorrect. Balance, given by Fritz Heider, is about the fit between a person (P), another person (O) and an attitude object (X). No second person's attitude is involved here, so it does not explain the change.
Option (3) Two-step concept of attitude change — Incorrect. The two-step concept, given by S.M. Mohsin, needs a target who identifies with a source and then imitates the source's changed behaviour. No such source is copied in this study.
Option (4) Cognitive dissonance — Correct. Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort felt when two thoughts do not fit together. The Rs. 10 students knew the task was dull but said it was interesting, for very little money. To reduce this discomfort, they changed their view of the task and found it more interesting.
NCERT (2026-27): “Factors that Influence Attitude Change … |