Can Cognitive Dissonance Theory Explain Action Induced Changes in Political Preferences?

42 Pages Posted: 3 Feb 2022

See all articles by Tanja Artiga González

Tanja Artiga González

VU University Amsterdam

Francesco Capozza

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR)

Georg D. Granic

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Department of Applied Economics; Tinbergen Institute

Date Written: 2022

Abstract

We present the results of a novel experiment investigating how participation in the electoral process can causally change political preference via cognitive dissonance theory. We present a novel experimental design, which complements the existing empirical literature, isolating the net effect of cognitive dissonance on preference changes. Our results suggest that cognitive dissonance created by expressing support for a losing candidate causally led participants to align their preferences with that of the supported candidate more closely. Our results, however, also uncovered a strong dependency of such preferences changes on the outcome of the election. When supported candidates won the election, no preference change was observed. Although more research is needed, our results may be an indication that previous studies overestimated the cognitive dissonance effect on preference changes.

Keywords: political participation, political support, political preferences, cognitive dissonance, online experiment

JEL Classification: C910, D720, D910

Suggested Citation

Artiga Gonzalez, Tanja and Capozza, Francesco and Granic, Georg, Can Cognitive Dissonance Theory Explain Action Induced Changes in Political Preferences? (2022). CESifo Working Paper No. 9549, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4024775 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4024775

Tanja Artiga Gonzalez (Contact Author)

VU University Amsterdam ( email )

De Boelelaan 1105
Amsterdam, North Holland 1081 HV
Netherlands

Francesco Capozza

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) ( email )

Burgemeester Oudlaan 50
3000 DR Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland 3062PA
Netherlands

Georg Granic

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Department of Applied Economics ( email )

Netherlands

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.eur.nl/en/ese/people/georg-granic

Tinbergen Institute ( email )

Burg. Oudlaan 50
Rotterdam, 3062 PA
Netherlands

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