Page 221 - The Social Animal

Self-Justification 203

they would shoot a roll of film and print two of the photographs.
They would rate the two photographs and then get to choose one to
keep. The other would be kept for administrative reasons. The stu-
dents were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, one in which
they had the option to exchange photographs within a five-day pe-
riod, and another in which their first choice was final and irrevoca-
ble. Gilbert found that prior to making the choice between the two
photographs, students liked the two photographs equally. Students
were contacted two, four, and nine days after they had made their
choice and questioned whether their feelings about the photographs
had changed.
The results of the experiment showed that the students who had
the option of exchanging photographs liked the one they finally
ended up with less than those who made the final choice on the first
day. In other words, once a decision is final people can get busy mak-
ing themselves feel good about the choice they have made. And thus,
it is often the case that people frequently become more certain that
they have made a wise decision after there is nothing they can do
about it.
Although the irrevocability of a decision always increases disso-
nance and the motivation to reduce it, there are circumstances in
which irrevocability is unnecessary. Let me explain with an exam-
ple. Suppose you enter an automobile showroom intent on buying a
new car. You’ve already priced the car you want at several dealers;
you know you can purchase it for about $19,300. Lo and behold, the
salesman tells you he can sell you one for $18,942. Excited by the
bargain, you agree to the deal and write out a check for the down
payment. While the salesman takes your check to the sales manager
to consummate the deal, you rub your hands in glee as you imagine
yourself driving home in your shiny new car. But alas, 10 minutes
later, the salesman returns with a forlorn look on his face; it seems
he made a calculation error, and the sales manager caught it. The
price of the car is actually $19,384. You can get it cheaper elsewhere;
moreover, the decision to buy is not irrevocable. And yet, far more
people in this situation will go ahead with the deal than if the orig-
inal asking price had been $19,384—even though the reason for
purchasing the car from this dealer (the bargain price) no longer ex-
28
ists. Indeed, Robert Cialdini, a social psychologist who temporar-
ily joined the sales force of an automobile dealer, discovered that the