2008/01/01 by Eddie Harmon‐Jones, Cindy Harmon‐Jones, Meghan Fearn +2 · 4 citations
Neuroscience · Decision Sciences · Psychology · #Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies #Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics #Behavioral Health and Interventions
paper · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.94.1.1
openalex publication_date 2008/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11
The action-based model of dissonance predicts that following decisional commitment, approach-oriented motivational processes occur to assist in translating the decision into effective and unconflicted behavior. Therefore, the modulation of these approach-oriented processes should affect the degree to which individuals change their attitudes to be more consistent with the decisional commitment (spreading of alternatives). Experiment 1 demonstrated that a neurofeedback-induced decrease in relative left frontal cortical activation, which has been implicated in approach motivational processes, caused a reduction in spreading of alternatives. Experiment 2 manipulated an action-oriented mindset following a decision and demonstrated that the action-oriented mindset caused increased activation in the left frontal cortical region as well as increased spreading of alternatives. Discussion focuses on how this integration of neuroscience and dissonance theory benefits both parent literatures.