10: Persuasive Theories - Cognitive Dissonance Theory

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Persuasive Theories: Cognitive Dissonance Theory

$a fractured image of young boys from the early 1900's$

Robert Couse-Baker – cognitive dissonance – CC BY 2.0.

Understanding how people are persuaded is very important to the discussion of public speaking. Thankfully, a number of researchers have created theories that help explain why people are persuaded. While there are numerous theories that help to explain persuasion, we are only going to examine one here: cognitive dissonance theory.

10.1: Cognitive Dissonance Theory
Adapted from Stand Up, Speak Out: The Practice and Ethics of Public Speaking, Chapter 17.1