The Dissonance-Inducing Effects of an Inconsistency Between Experienced Empathy and Knowledge of Past Failures to Help: Support for the Action-Based Model of Dissonance

Abstract

This research was designed to test the hypothesis that an inconsistency between an experienced emotion and another element of knowledge would evoke dissonance motivation. To test this hypothesis, participants were induced to experience either low or high levels of empathy for a young boy with cancer. Then they were reminded either of their past failures to help similar persons or of neutral events. Finally, they were provided an opportunity to help the boy who had cancer. As predicted, participants who were in the high-empathy/reminder-of-past-failures-to-help condition helped more than participants in the other conditions. Discussion focuses on the implications of this research for the conditions sufficient to evoke dissonance motivation. Discussion also suggests how this novel paradigm can be used to increase helping behavior.