title: Do amnesics exhibit cognitive dissonance reduction? The role of explicit memory and attention in attitude change.
abstract: In two studies, we investigated the roles of explicit memory and attentional resources in the process of behavior-induced attitude change. Although most theories of attitude change (cognitive dissonance and self-perception theories) assume an important role for both mechanisms, we propose that behavior-induced attitude change can be a relatively automatic process that does not require explicit memory for, or consciously controlled processing of, the discrepancy between attitude and behavior. Using a free-choice paradigm, we found that both amnesics and normal participants under cognitive load showed as much attitude change as did control participants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Franz Hall, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563, USA. lieber@ucla.edu
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Lieberman
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Ochsner
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Schacter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D020324:Amnesia, Anterograde / Q000523:psychology*; D001288:Attention; D001290:Attitude; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003073:Cognitive Dissonance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological