Discuss the implications of Consonance Dissonance Theory to our preceptor

of news and events.

1
What do a telemarketing call, a social documentary, a political campaign ad, a sermon and a
Hallmark commercial all have in common? Aside from being forms of communication, they are
all attempts at creating cognitive dissonance in humans.

2
The experience of dissonance between attitudes and behaviors is a potent mechanism that
produces attitude change. Cognitive dissonance involves negative affect because discrepancy
among cognitions undermines our clear and certain knowledge about the world, and thus our
ability to engage in effective action (Harmon-Jones 2001). Studies suggest that positive affect
decreases, and negative affect increases, dissonance reduction and attitude change. Once
consonance is restored, affective state also tends to improve. However, much work remains to
be done in discovering the precise cognitive mechanisms responsible for these effects are
reviewed.

1 http://www.communicationstudies.com/communication-theories/cognitive-dissonance-theory
2 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B0080430767017563
What is the significance of Ritual Model? What does it say about rituals and
traditions?

3
A metaphor for the primary function of the mass media as the representation or celebration of
shared understandings, values, and beliefs. It is based on a conceptualization of communication
by the American communication theorist James Carey (1935–2006). Such communication is
seen as drawing upon a common pool of cultural imagery, symbolism, and codes, bringing
together those for whom these are familiar features of their cultural identity. Audiences are in
this sense participants rather than receivers or spectators. It is seen as expressive
communication for the pleasures of performance rather than as instrumental or informational
communication, although it has the unifying social function of maintaining society over time
(see imagined community). See also integration; socialization function; compare publicity model;
reception model; transmission models.
4
As basic metaphor for the ritual view of communication is considered ceremony, where the
participant’s roles are actually participants not sender & receiver like in the transmission view.
The ritual view of communication focuses on the sharing of information and the preservation
across time. In addition the ritual view of communication is not concerned with disseminating
messages over space. In the opinion of James Carey “in a ritual definition, communication is
linked to terms such as sharing, participation, association, fellowship, and the possession of a
common faith” (Carey 40) Therefore this view of communication calls for integration of the
participants since it draws people together in fellowship and commonality, much like church for
certain religions. One would not simply go to church and not participate in the singing, praying,
and joyous clapping that takes place. An argument against the ritual view of communication
could be that since it is culturally biased, there could be some ethnocentric problems. This is
because not everyone shares the same beliefs, so some rituals may offend others or they might
misunderstand. When examining the newspaper under the ritual view, you are not intended to
gain information from it, but to become one with the stories within the paper. Like the definition
of ritual views says you become a participant. Under the ritual view medias are not used for
social interaction, i.e. discussing television show with friends during conversation, but are
instead forms of social integration. With all the reality TV shows around us nowadays there is
some evidence that the ritual view of communication is making a slight comeback. This is
because reality TV shows try to integrate the audience with the events in the show to form
social connection. Reality TV shows are able to facilitate a sense of belonging, refuge and
community even if the audience isn’t directly interacting, for instance the, The Biggest Loser had
a huge effect on many people. Therefore under the ritual view of communication people are
more inclined to take on vicarious roles depending on the media used.

3https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100422885
4https://www.ukessays.com/essays/cultural-studies/ritual-communication-and-the-transmission-communication-model-
cultural-studies-essay.php
Cite the implications to the broadcasting industry of the Social Gratification
Theory.
5
Uses and gratification theory (UGT) is an audience-centered approach that focuses on what
people do with media, as opposed to what media does to people. Originators and Key
Contributors: Uses and gratification theory builds off of a history of communication theories and
research. Jay Blumler and Denis McQuail laid the primary groundwork in 1969 with their
categorization of audience motivations for watching political programs during the time of the
1964 election in the United Kingdom.

6
The Uses & Gratification Theory looks at how people use the media to gratify a range of needs
– including the need for information, personal identity, integration, social interaction and
entertainment.

The Uses and Gratification Theory takes the relationship between media texts and audiences a
step further. Starting with the assumption that texts are open and audiences create their own
meaning, the Uses and Gratification Theory proposes that audiences are active participants in
the communication process. They choose the media texts to gratify their own needs – such as
the need for information, personal identity, integration social interaction or entertainment. Indeed
there is a great deal of research using this approach which seems to confirm the notion that
audiences are active and important participants in the communication process. In a recent
series of studies called, ‘Hanging Out, messing around and geeking out’, researchers found that
young people use the media for a variety of purposes, actively engaging in games, social
interaction, problem solving and diverse forms of learning. The findings of this report are in
direct opposition to the notion that audiences are passive and susceptible to media influence.

5
https://www.learning-theories.com/uses-and-gratification-theory.html
6
http://www.mediaknite.org/uses-and-gratification-theory/
What is dissonance and how do you reduce it as explained in the Cognitive
Dissonance Theory of Festinger? Give an example of citing new
information that is being introduced and the dissonance it will create.

Cognitive dissonance is a theory of psychology that translates into “thought conflict.” First
proposed by U.S. psychologist Leon Festinger in the 1950s, the theory seeks to explain how
people reduce psychological discomfort and achieve emotional equilibrium in the face of
inconsistent beliefs or behaviors. It rests on the premise that people desire to view themselves
as rational and uniform in both thought and action; therefore, they consciously choose how they
respond to information or behaviors that challenge their way of thinking. It has been used to
understand why people give in to con artists, make risky financial decisions and justify
unhealthy habits. Though Cognitive Dissonance Theory was controversial at first, it is now one
of the most analyzed and accepted theories in both psychology and communication.

The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance

• One of the most powerful motivators of human behavior is the need to preserve a stable,
positive self-image. During the course of a lifetime, we experience many challenges to our
beliefs that we are reasonable, decent people.

How to Reduce Dissonance

- Change our behavior to bring it in line with the dissonant cognition

- By attempting to justify our behavior through changing one of the dissonant cognitions

- By attempting to justify our behavior by adding new cognitions

Implications of Post-Decision Dissonance

* People feel even more positively about their decisions after they have made up their minds

* When weighing the pros and cons of a decision, both the negative and positive aspects of a
choice are dissonant with a person's self-con