Cognitive Dissonance and Internalization of Social Norms: Effects of Threat Severity on Children

Abstract

The cognitive consistency in social behaviour was analysed in ninety pre-school children within the context of the cognitive dissonance theory in the forced compliance paradigm. The aim of the experiment was to ascertain the effect of the dissonance reduction process on the internalization of social norms in a resistance-to-deviation situation creating dissonance. The procedure involved tempting a child to engage in counterattitudinal behaviour (not playing with the desired toy). The child was given either a sufflcient (severe threat of punishment) or insufficient (mild threat) justification for not performing the activity. As predicted from dissonance theory, the smaller the threat, the greater the dissonance and it was reduced by derogating the forbidden toy. Dissonance reduction implications in socialization are validated: the children who were threatened least were the most likely to internalize a norm not to play. Self-awareness processes are involved.