2. Cognitive dissonance
A person can internally witness a feeling of
uncomfortable stress or tension which comes from
holding two conflicting thoughts in their mind at the
same time.
Dissonance increases with: The importance of the
subject to us, how strongly the dissonant thoughts
conflict and our inability to rationalize and explain
away the conflict. Dissonance is often strong when we
believe something about ourselves and then do
something against that belief.
3. Example:
If I believe I am good but do something bad, then the
discomfort I feel as a result is cognitive dissonance.
Cognitive dissonance is a very powerful motivator
which will often lead us to change one or other of the
conflicting belief or action.
4. Agenda-Setting Theory
The agenda-setting theory is a theory that the news
media has large influence on audiences by their choice
of what stories to consider newsworthy and how much
prominence and space to give them.
Through their day-by-day selection and display of the
news, editors and news directors focus our attention
and influence our perceptions of what are the most
important issues of the day.
5. CRITIQUE:
Some of the insights that I gained from the articles is a
better perspective of what the two theories mean and
what they represent. With the examples given, I can
now elaborate on each theory and recognize which
theory may be needed once I step into the business
world.
6. COMPARE AND CONTRAST:
Cognitive dissonance and the agenda setting theory
have similarities in the sense, that they are both
something that a person can mentally decide what
direction to go with their thoughts.
7. How you see each of these theories as potentially
useful for current communication professionals. How
could they be applied to practice?
Cognitive dissonance is something that could benefit a
PR professional because when the person has feelings
of guilt, it is our job to counteract that with a positive
message that could possibly be a turning point in that
person’s life and in the same breath could create
goodwill in that person’s eyes towards the business you
represent
8. How you see each of these theories as potentially
useful for current communication professionals. How
could they be applied to practice?
Agenda setting theory can be beneficial in the sense
that with the supposed control that the media has on
the minds of the viewer, would make the PR
professional more aware of the impact they may have
on the message delivery and presentation they give to
the listening audience.
9. REFERENCES:
Google. (2012). Cognitive Dissonance. Retrieved from Google:
http://cognitive-dissonance.behaviouralfinance.net/
McCombs, S. (2012). Symposium / Evolution of Agenda-Setting
Research. Retrieved from ncsu.edu:
www4.ncsu.edu/~amgutsch/MccombsShawnew.pdf
McLeod, S. (2011). Cognitive Dissonance. Retrieved from Simply
Psychology: http://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-
dissonance.html
Minds.org, C. (n.d.). Cognitive Dissonance. Retrieved from
Changing Minds.org:
http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/cognitive_diss
onance.htm
Sanchez, M. (n.d.). Agenda setting. Retrieved from Google:
http://zimmer.csufresno.edu/~johnca/spch100/7-4-agenda.htm
