Question

According to cognitive dissonance theory, which of the following would most likely result in Nasseem accurately reporting that the game was dull?

1) Nasseem paid $100 for his front-row seat.
2) Nasseem did not pay for his seat high up in the stands.
3) Nasseem paid $10 for a seat high up in the stands.
4) Nasseem paid $50 for his mid-section seat.

Answer 1

Naseem is most likely to report the game as dull if he did not pay for his seat, as there would be no financial investment to justify, resulting in less cognitive dissonance.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to cognitive dissonance theory, Naseem would most likely report that the game was dull if option 2) Naseem did not pay for his seat high up in the stands is selected. Cognitive dissonance refers to the psychological discomfort that arises from holding conflicting beliefs or engaging in behavior that contradicts one's beliefs or attitudes. If Naseem paid a significant amount for the tickets, such as $100 for a front-row seat or $50 for a mid-section seat, admitting that the game was dull would create a dissonance between his investment and his experience. The more money Nasseem has invested, the stronger the dissonance is likely to be. Therefore, the likelihood to justify the expenditure by perceiving the game as enjoyable would increase. Conversely, if Naseem did not pay for his seat, there's no financial investment to justify, making it easier to report the game as dull without experiencing dissonance.