Do amnesics exhibit cognitive dissonance reduction? The role of explicit memory and attention in attitude change

In two studies, we investigated the roles of explicit memory and attentiona l resources in the process of behavior-induced attitude change. Although mo st theories of attitude change (cognitive dissonance and self-perception th eories) assume an important role for both mechanisms, we propose that behav ior-induced attitude change can be a relatively automatic process that does not require explicit memory for, or consciously controlled processing of, the discrepancy between attitude and behavior. Using a free-choice paradigm , we found that both amnesics and normal participants under cognitive load showed as much attitude change as did control participants.