The concept of cognition was relatively new at the time of the introduction of cognitive dissonance theory. Before that, the relationship between human attitudes and behaviours was understood as a complex process that involved motivational, emotional, affective and perceptual factors (Krech, 2019; Rosenberg, 1966). Therefore, the theory was one of the breakthroughs for research in the psychology field as it revolutionised thinking about human psychological processes. More specifically, the theory explains how rewards affect attitudes and behaviours https://ecosoberhouse.com/ and how behaviours and motivations affect cognitions and perceptions (Harmon-Jones & Harmon-Jones, 2007). Although the concepts of harmony and conflict were not new and had been proposed earlier by Heider (Heider, 1946), Cognitive Dissonance theory made a major contribution to the concept of consistency (Cooper, 2007). The theory is different compared to other consistency theories as it defines dissonance and consonance in relation to a specific cognition, which usually is related to a behaviour (Harmon-Jones & Harmon-Jones, 2007).
Imagine someone experiencing intense guilt and embarrassment after stumbling through a public speech because they forgot the words. This cognitive dissonance arises from the belief that they cognitive dissonance treatment should have been better prepared. Through therapy, individuals can learn to recalibrate the weight of the dissonance or even alter the belief that external opinions hold significant sway.
What is cognitive dissonance theory?
The degree of discomfort varies with the subject matter, as well as with how well the person copes with self-contradiction. One example is a smoker who knows all too well that nicotine causes lung cancer but takes puff after puff anyway to ease his anxiety in the moment—and then feels a sense of shame. There’s some sort of discrepancy between what your values are and what you feel in that moment. Thanks to the discomfort cognitive dissonance causes, people may rationalize their decisions—even if they go against their beliefs—steer clear of convos about certain subjects, hide their beliefs or actions from others, or even ignore a doctor’s advice. In the end, all of these tactics just help them repeat the behaviors, which they don’t really agree with anyway. In fact, recent research has suggested that while a discrepancy between cognitions drives individuals to crave attitude-consistent information, the experience of negative emotions drives individuals to avoid counter attitudinal information.
- And, researchers believe it’s not an automatic feeling we get when we have contradictory beliefs—we experience it only when we’re aware there’s an inconsistency.
- The degree to which your target audience experiences cognitive dissonance depends on several factors.
- If these don’t align, we might consider justifying our relationship or breaking up.
- Read on to learn more about cognitive dissonance, including examples, signs a person might be experiencing it, causes, and how to resolve it.
- Threat from dissonance rarely has anything to do with the performance of another, i.e., social comparison.
- When cognitive dissonance goes unaddressed, it can not only cause angst, but it can lead to impaired decision-making, Dr. Brenner says.
This can be a difficult and uncomfortable process and involves getting additional information. In that sense, the experience of cognitive dissonance is an opportunity to learn and grow, as long as we deal with it constructively and respond in a way that we choose and is beneficial. The concept of cognitive dissonance is nicely explained in this YouTube video by social psychologist Andy Luttrell.
Action–motivation model
There is no cognitive dissonance here; Höss’s wife co-exists peacefully with the great loss required for her personal gain. It is the belief inherent also in wealth, that it only means something when it is denied everyone else. Finally, school-reported grades also followed a sinusoidal pattern of correlates (see Fig. 3). Positive correlations were observed with structure (clarifying, guiding) and the attuning subarea of autonomy support, and negative correlations with the abandoning subarea of chaos and the domineering subarea of control.
Mitigating cognitive dissonance can be achieved by diminishing the significance of the conflicting belief in the decision-making process. By reducing its weight, the discomfort stemming from the dissonance is lessened. Businesses should promote a positive organizational culture that aligns with their stated values. This will help to reduce the amount of cognitive dissonance employees experience between their personal values and those promoted by the company, boosting morale and productivity.
1: Cognitive Dissonance Theory
While cognitive dissonance is often described as something widely and regularly experienced, efforts to capture it in studies don’t always work, so it could be less common than has been assumed. People do not necessarily experience discomfort in response to every apparent contradiction in their thoughts and beliefs. Cognitive dissonance theory might suggest that since votes are an expression of preference or beliefs, even the act of voting might cause someone to defend the actions of the candidate for whom they voted,[72][self-published source? ] and if the decision was close then the effects of cognitive dissonance should be greater. Cognitive dissonance can often have a powerful influence on our behaviors and actions. It doesn’t just influence how you feel; it also motivates you to take action to reduce feelings of discomfort.
For example, Festinger explains that a smoker might cope with the discrepancy between their knowledge (that smoking is bad) and their behavior (that they smoke) by quitting. According to Festinger, we can work to reduce the dissonance we feel in several different ways. It occurs in all of us frequently, not just when planning to diet and justifying a doughnut with a delayed diet start. This offers opportunities to discuss the discrepancies, deepen the relationship, and re-align values.
Another way to make sense of what happened is to maintain the same belief about being taken away in a flying saucer but just change the date. This would justify the sacrifices that were made by increasing the value of their original belief. To strengthen the belief, new converts would be needed, which requires proselytizing. Indeed, this also occurred, with some group members proselytizing their beliefs after the disconfirmation.
The COVID-19 pandemic, an extreme public health crisis, cases rose to the hundred million and deaths at nearly four million worldwide. Reputable health organizations such as Lyu and Wehby studied the effects of wearing a face mask on the spread of COVID-19. When the COVID-19 vaccine was eventually released to the public, this only made the resistance stronger. According to Festinger, there are a few ways that a person might resolve this dissonance. If you find yourself baffled or confused, don’t try to justify your current belief; fine tune it with creative and critical thinking. In 1975 when I started college, smoking was not discouraged at my university.
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