Insufficient Justification Effect

The Insufficient Justification Effect occurs when people change their attitudes or beliefs after doing a task they initially found uninteresting or unpleasant, especially when they weren’t rewarded enough to justify their effort. Because they didn't receive enough external reward, they resolve their discomfort by convincing themselves they actually enjoyed the task or valued it more than they initially thought. This internal reasoning helps reduce feelings of cognitive dissonance—that psychological discomfort caused by conflicting thoughts—in a way that aligns their attitude with their behavior, even if their original motivation was minimal.