Define Cognitive Dissonance Theory. Expand on your definition and Make sure to fully explain the theory. Find two scholarly journal articles & explain how the theory was used,studied,tested. Use your own words and citations.Discuss theory in everyday life

Upon completion of this assignment, students will be able to write and critically think about a
persuasive theory; specially, clearly identify and describe a persuasive theory, explain how it is
used/advanced in/through academic research, and apply the tenants of the theory to everyday
life. (MO 3.4, 3.5, & 3.6)
Overview:
For this assignment you will be asked to select ONE persuasive theory that interests you from the
Gass & Seiter textbook. I would recommend you choose a theory we have covered in class and
one that you feel you will be comfortable researching. Listed below are a few theories that might
interest you. Also, note some theories may have more publishable work than others; therefore,
some may be more difficult to research than others. If a theory only has one or two publishable
articles (that you can find), I recommend you choose a different theory. It may help to use
multiple search engines too.
• Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion (Ch. 2)
• Cognitive Dissonance Theory (Ch. 3)
• Theory of Reasoned Action (Ch. 3)
• Impression Management Theory (Ch. 4)
• Social Judgment Theory (Ch. 5)
• Social Comparison Theory (Ch. 6)
• Language Expectancy Theory (Ch. 7)
• Alternative: Social Construction of Reality
• Alternative: Any of the persuasive media theories with my approval (not in our textbook)
• Or another persuasive theory from the Gass & Seiter textbook – don’t limit yourself to
the above selection.
In this paper, you will discuss the following:
1. Define the theory from the information in the text and in the two scholarly journal articles
you select (see below). Expand on your definition and go beyond a few short sentences.
Make sure to fully explain the theory to me. Include APA 7 in-text citations to
complement your content.
2. Find two scholarly journal articles that have utilized the theory and explain how the
theory was used/studied/tested. Please put this in your own words and do not copy what
is already stated in the journal articles. What did they do to learn/test the theory and what
was found as a result? Include APA 7 in-text citations to complement your content.
3. Discuss how the theory applies to your (and your classmates) everyday lives.
4. You will need a minimum of three sources (your textbook and your two scholarly journal
articles). Feel free to use other credible sources if needed. Include APA 7 in-text citations
to complement any content you obtain from your sources.
Persuasive Theory Paper Fox
You will get your articles from the Communication and Mass Media Complete database (you
may want to look in other databases too). To get to this database, please follow these
instructions:
1. Go to the NKU Homepage.
2. Click on Library, Steely (Use the drop down menu in the upper right hand corner).
3. Click Find and Databases by Name.
4. Click C.
5. Click Communication and Mass Media Complete.
6. Type in your theory in the search box.
Scroll through the articles until you find two that you find interesting. At the bottom of each of
the descriptions, it will tell you if the article is available full text (it will say PDF Full Text or
Linked Full Text). You can click on this and print the articles right at home. If it is not available
full text you can either find an article that is or request it through Interlibrary Loan (Source
Finder).
You want to find articles where the authors have DONE SOMETHING, e.g. they have
administered a survey, conducted focus groups, interviews, etc. You DO NOT want summary
articles. Also, be sure to consider credibility, authorship, sponsorship, recency, and other items
when evaluating an article for use in your paper.
Remember, if you have a theory that does not have a lot of articles, please look in other
databases or choose another theory.
Requirements:
This paper (not including cover page and reference page) will be 3-4 pages in length (depending
on how concise of a writer you are).
This paper is to be done in APA format. To save you from buying an APA style guide, please go
to the following website and follow these instructions:
1. Go to www.wisc.edu. Make sure you are using APA 7.
2. Type in APA in the search engine and click Go.
3. Click on the first option: uw-madison writing center writer’s handbook.
4. Here you will find seven different sections/bullets that will guide you through APA. It
will tell you how to do a cover page, site sources in text, and on the reference page.
5. There is also a sample paper in APA format on Canvas, as well as a link to Purdue Owl,
another resource for APA help.