Cognitive dissonance: Definition, effects, and examples

Cognitive dissonance can be beneficial, detrimental, or neutral depending on the situation and people involved. It is beneficial to avoid cognitive dissonance when someone’s beliefs do not line up with their behavior. Because it shows they are a good person who stands by what they believe in.

When someone tells a lie and feels uncomfortable about it because he fundamentally sees himself as an honest person, he may be experiencing cognitive dissonance. That is, there is mental discord related to a contradiction between one thought (in this case, knowing he did something wrong) and another (thinking that he is honest). Cognitive dissonance plays a role in many value judgments, decisions, and evaluations. Becoming aware of how conflicting beliefs impact the decision-making process is a great way to improve your ability to make faster and more accurate choices. Cognitive dissonance can make people feel uneasy and uncomfortable.

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What you may not know is that decision making arouses dissonance as a general rule. This is because all decisions involve choosing between two or more alternatives. The first person to investigate cognitive dissonance was a psychologist known as Leon Festinger. Festinger infiltrated a cult where the members were convinced that the earth would be destroyed by a flood before the dawn of 21 December 1954. Psychologist Leon Festinger published the book A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance in 1957. Among the examples he used to illustrate the theory were doomsday cult members and their explanations for why the world had not ended as they had anticipated.

To reduce the tension, the person might reduce the amount of junk she consumes each week. In this case, the cognitive dissonance has provided motivation for her to change her Lifestyle. By bringing attention to the inconsistencies in our minds, cognitive dissonance may present an opportunity for growth. People who feel it could realize, for example, that they need to update their beliefs to reflect the truth, or change their behavior to better match the person they want to be. There are a variety of ways people are thought to resolve the sense of dissonance when cognitions don’t seem to fit together. They may include denying or compartmentalizing unwelcome thoughts, seeking to explain away a thought that doesn’t comport with others, or changing what one believes or one’s behavior.

Eating meat

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. Completing the challenge below proves you are a human and gives you temporary access. For example, a person who wishes to protect other people and who believes that the COVID-19 pandemic is real might wear a mask in public. In his book A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, Festinger proposed that two ideas can be consonant or dissonant.

This results in a clash between their outer world and inner thoughts causing them to either adjust their thinking patterns (mental adjustment) to match each other better (cognitive change). Or they can just ignore or dismiss one of the conflicting beliefs, ideas, or values (dissonance reduction). Leon Festinger first proposed the theory of cognitive dissonance, centered on how people try to reach internal consistency. He suggested that people have an inner need to ensure that their beliefs and behaviors are consistent. Inconsistent or conflicting beliefs lead to disharmony, which people strive to avoid.

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The clashing cognitions may include ideas, beliefs, or the knowledge that one has behaved in a certain way. The theory behind this approach is that in order to resolve the dissonance, a person’s implicit beliefs about their body and thinness will change, reducing their desire to limit their food intake. Another factor that can create cognitive dissonance is addiction. A person might not want to engage in dissonant behavior, but addiction can make it feel physically and mentally difficult to bring their behavior into alignment with their values. However, Festinger believed that all people are motivated to avoid or resolve cognitive dissonance due to the discomfort it causes. This can prompt people to adopt certain defense mechanisms when they have to confront it.

• It also helps them clarify things about themselves and what they believe.
• Mismatches between your beliefs and actions can lead to feelings of discomfort (and, sometimes, coping choices that have negative impacts), but such feelings can also sometimes lead to change and growth.
• Forced compliance behavior refers to situations where a person is forced to perform actions that are not consistent with his or her beliefs.
• When people experience cognitive dissonance, they have to make a change in their thinking to reduce the amount of mental stress or discomfort that’s being caused.

As the lines between real and fake blur, Americans increasingly chase the idea of authenticity. The first step may be to consider self-knowledge, truthfulness, and other building blocks on the road to personal growth. Replacing “but” with “and” can move you toward positive change and hope. By Kendra Cherry, MSEd

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the “Everything Psychology Book.” Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the “Everything Psychology Book.”

Cognitive dissonance is a psychological phenomenon that refers to the discomfort people feel when their beliefs or thoughts are not in line with their behaviors. It can be harmful if it’s not resolved, but it can also be beneficial in some cases. Professionals view it as an important concept because it can help us understand how people make decisions and behave. Mismatches between your beliefs and actions can lead to feelings of discomfort (and, sometimes, coping choices that have negative impacts), but such feelings can also sometimes lead to change and growth.

• People are not always able to behave in a way that matches their beliefs.
• Affective dissonance occurs when someone’s feelings/emotions do not match up with their behavior or thoughts.
• The inconsistency between what people believe and how they behave motivates them to engage in actions that will help minimize feelings of discomfort.
• This clash of beliefs and disruption of thought can also occur if you have two or more conflicting beliefs and you’re torn between them.

This is the best option for most people because it’s easier to ignore something than it is to change your behavior. Find a mental health provider from BetterHelp’s wide network for your everyday needs. Take a quiz, get matched, and start getting support via phone or video. They may make positive changes in their lives, cognitive dissonance treatment such as addressing unhealthful eating habits, addiction, or anger issues. Alternatively, he might tell himself that it is better to live a short life full of pleasure (smoking) than to live a long life without the pleasures. In so doing, he is reducing the significance of the belief that smoking is bad for his health.

What is cognitive dissonance?

You don’t want to move, but your partner is excited about the promotion and you want them to be happy. Little by little, you begin to consider the pros of living in a small town. Every time you see the membership tag on your keychain, it reminds you of that pesky truth — that exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle. You’ll replace them and always pick up after your dog in the future. Mantra Care aims at providing affordable, accessible, and professional health care treatment to people across the globe. When someone does something they don’t want to do because an authority figure tells them to, that’s authority.

Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person’s behavior and beliefs do not complement each other or when they hold two contradictory beliefs. It causes a feeling of discomfort that motivates people to try to feel better. Cognitive dissonance is a theory in social psychology first proposed by Leon Festinger.

People who experience dissonance but have no way to resolve it may also feel powerless or guilty. Anyone can experience cognitive dissonance, and sometimes, it is unavoidable. People are not always able to behave in https://ecosoberhouse.com/ a way that matches their beliefs. But you can feel caught off guard when those values and beliefs are shaken by social pressures, the presence of new information or having to make a rushed last-minute decision.