Hypocrisy and Identification With Transgressions: A Case of Undetected Dissonance

Abstract

Two studies were conducted to see how changes from the typical hypocrisy paradigm affect dissonance arousal and reduction. The effects of directly and personally identifying participants with their transgressions were examined. In both studies, participants made pro-recycling advocacies and were then asked recall times when they had failed to recycle. Unexpectedly, Study 1 found that, when participants are individually identified with their transgressions, the hypocrisy manipulation had no significant affect on behavior. Study 2 attempted to clarify these unexpected results by determining whether dissonance was aroused in this identified condition and how it was reduced. Study 2 results suggest that identified participants were experiencing dissonance but that the manipulation was blocking behavioral routes of dissonance reduction. Instead of adopting pro-recycling behaviors that correct past transgressions, participants were adopting less positive attitudes about the importance of recycling. The implications these findings have for applying hypocrisy-induced dissonance are discussed.