TY  - GEN
AU  - Bem, Daryl J.
SN  - 0030-5073
AU  - Bem, Daryl J.
LA  - eng
CN  - ENP-b059c07b-4214-4711-bdcd-d6fcf226ba6e
TI  - Self-perception: the dependent variable of human performance
PY  - 1967
AB  - The assumption is often made that attitudes and beliefs cause the behaviors with which they are associated. Recent research indicates, however, that the direction of causality may be reversed: The self-descriptive statements that typically comprise the operational definitions of “beliefs” and “attitudes” are found to be the dependent variables of the relationship and are under the partial functional control of the behaviors that precede them. The present analysis inquires into the ontogenetic origins of such self-descriptive statements and provides an interpretation of two recently reported phenomena displaying the beliefs-following-behavior sequence: the “cognitive enhancement” of a dull task and the re-evaluation of alternatives following choice. The methodological use of self-descriptive data by social psychologists is also discussed.
ER  -