Inducing Hypocrisy as a Means of Encouraging Young Adults to Use Condoms
Abstract
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.
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Psychological threat can sometimes trigger positive change, but it can also impede adaptive coping.
“Although psychological threat can sometimes trigger positive change (Rokeach 1973, Stone et al. 1994), it can also impede adaptive coping.”
From The Psychology of Change: Self-Affirmation and Social Psychological Intervention (2014) · cites this paper as Stone et al. 1994
Sometimes threat and defensiveness foster adaptive outcomes.
“But sometimes threat and defensiveness foster adaptive outcomes (e.g., Rokeach 1973, Stone et al. 1994).”
From The Psychology of Change: Self-Affirmation and Social Psychological Intervention (2014) · cites this paper as Stone et al. 1994
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Zanna, M. P., & Cooper, J. (1974) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/h0036651 · Cited by 577 · see citing works
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The Psychology of Change: Self-Affirmation and Social Psychological Intervention
Cohen, G. L., & Sherman, D. K. (2014) · Annual Review of Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115137 · Cited by 1,197 · see citing works
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Category membership moderates the inhibition of social identities
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- Authors
- Stone, J., Aronson, E., Crain, A. L., Winslow, M. P., & Fried, C. B.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Santa Cruz (US)
- Venue
- Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 1994-02
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 116-128
- ISSN
- 0146-1672 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-7433
- OpenAlex
- W2086196432
- Cited by
- 331
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 10.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Media Influence and Health
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Psychology of Social Influence
- Keywords
- cognitive dissonance, condom use, HIV prevention, young adults, dissonance reduction, sexual behavior change
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