This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Stone, J. Articles by Fried, C. B. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Stone, J. Articles by Fried, C. B. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Inducing Hypocrisy as a Means of Encouraging Young Adults to Use Condoms

University of California at Santa Cruz

Elliot Aronson

University of California at Santa Cruz

A. Lauren Crain

University of California at Santa Cruz

Matthew P. Winslow

University of California at Santa Cruz

Carrie B. Fried

University of California at Santa Cruz

This experiment applied a new twist on cognitive dissonance theory to the problem of AIDS prevention among sexually active young adults. Dissonance was created after a proattitudinal advocacy by inducing hypocrisy-having subjects publicly advocate the importance of safe sex and then systematically making the subjects mindful of their own past failures to use condoms. It was predicted that the induction of hypocrisy would motivate subjects to reduce dissonance by purchasing condoms at the completion of the experiment. The results showed that more subjects in the hypocrisy condition bought condoms and also bought more condoms, on average, than subjects in the control conditions. The implications of the hypocrisy procedure for AIDS prevention programs and for current views of dissonance theory are discussed.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. Kurzban and C. Athena Aktipis Modularity and the Social Mind: Are Psychologists Too Self-ish? Personality and Social Psychology Review, May 1, 2007; 11(2): 131 - 149. [Abstract] [PDF]

				K. J. Silk and R. L. Parrott All or Nothing... or Just a Hat? Farmers' Sun Protection Behaviors Health Promot Pract, April 1, 2006; 7(2): 180 - 185. [Abstract] [PDF]

				E J Strahan, K White, G T Fong, L R Fabrigar, M P Zanna, and R Cameron Enhancing the effectiveness of tobacco package warning labels: a social psychological perspective Tob. Control, September 1, 2002; 11(3): 183 - 190. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Takaku, B. Weiner, and K.-I. Ohbuchi A Cross-Cultural Examination of the Effects of Apology and Perspective Taking on Forgiveness Journal of Language and Social Psychology, March 1, 2001; 20(1-2): 144 - 166. [Abstract] [PDF]

				E. Harmon-Jones Cognitive Dissonance and Experienced Negative Affect: Evidence that Dissonance Increases Experienced Negative Affect Even in the Absence of Aversive Consequences Pers Soc Psychol Bull, December 1, 2000; 26(12): 1490 - 1501. [Abstract] [PDF]

				D. A. K. Sherman, L. D. Nelson, and C. M. Steele Do Messages about Health Risks Threaten the Self? Increasing the Acceptance of Threatening Health Messages Via Self-Affirmation Pers Soc Psychol Bull, November 1, 2000; 26(9): 1046 - 1058. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. Boney-McCoy, F. X. Gibbons, and M. Gerrard Self-Esteem, Compensatory Self-Enhancement, and the Consideration of Health Risk Pers Soc Psychol Bull, August 1, 1999; 25(8): 954 - 965. [Abstract] [PDF]

				V. B. Agocha and M. L. Cooper Risk Perceptions and Safer-Sex Intentions: Does a Partner's Physical Attractiveness Undermine the Use of Risk-Relevant Information? Pers Soc Psychol Bull, June 1, 1999; 25(6): 751 - 765. [Abstract] [PDF]

				H. Blanton, J. Cooper, I. Slkurnik, and J. Aronson When Bad Things Happen to Good Feedback: Exacerbating the Need for Self-Justification with Self-Affirmations Pers Soc Psychol Bull, July 1, 1997; 23(7): 684 - 692. [Abstract]

				C. B. Fried and E. Aronson Hypocrisy, Misattribution, and Dissonance Reduction Pers Soc Psychol Bull, September 1, 1995; 21(9): 925 - 933. [Abstract]