Transforming Dissatisfaction with Services into Self-Determination: A Social Psychological Perspective on Community Program Effectiveness.
A field study of supported employment for adults with mental illness (N=174) provided an experimental test of cognitive dissonance theory. We predicted that most work-interested individuals randomly assigned to a non-preferred program would reject services and lower their work aspirations. However, individuals who chose to pursue employment through a non-preferred program were expected to resolve this dissonance through favorable service evaluations and strong efforts to succeed at work. Significant work interest-by-service preference interactions supported these predictions. Over two years, participants interested in employment who obtained work through a non-preferred program stayed employed a median of 362 days versus 108 days for those assigned to a preferred program, and participants who obtained work through a non-preferred program had higher service satisfaction.
Macias
Cathaleene
C
Community Intervention Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA.
Aronson
Elliot
E
Hargreaves
William
W
Weary
Gifford
G
Barreira
Paul J
PJ
Harvey
John
J
Rodican
Charles F
CF
Bickman
Leonard
L
Fisher
William
W