The theory of cognitive dissonance proposes that people are averse to inconsistencies within their own minds. It offers one explanation for why people sometimes make an effort to adjust their thinking when their own thoughts, words, or behaviors seem to clash with each other. Other times, you may try to rationalize the inconsistent thought or behavior so it appears to be more consistent with your beliefs.

Free choice

Doing some soul searching to determine the areas of your life where contradiction exists can shed light on areas you may need to work on. Maybe you always expect your friends to be prompt when you have dinner plans, but you’re usually 10 minutes late yourself. Adjusting your behavior or your expectations of your friends might help lessen conflict down the line.

Real-Life Examples of Cognitive Dissonance

In order to explain this phenomenon, psychologist Leon Festinger presented the idea of cognitive dissonance. He explained that in order to maintain our sense of identity, we’re motivated to reduce inconsistencies in our self-image. Cognitive dissonance is the psychological tension we feel as we try to reckon with two (or more) opposing pieces of http://shalala.ru/Green_River/bio/ information. We generally try to eliminate this dissonance by taking a new, consonant action or by dismissing the incongruent information. Learning what cognitive dissonance is, why it’s so powerful, and how to manage it can put you back in the driver’s seat. We consider ourselves to be truthful, hard-working, health-conscious, and in control.

• To resolve cognitive dissonance, a person can aim to ensure that their actions are consistent with their values or vice versa.
• She says that reaching more consistency in your thoughts and behaviors will create a world that’s less harmful, less likely to trigger negative emotions, and therefore, less problematic.
• Living with that dissonance probably means you’re fairly stressed out and angry every day.

Further reading

People who learn that greenhouse emissions result in global warming might experience feelings of dissonance if they drive a gas-guzzling vehicle. To reduce this dissonance, they may seek out new information that overrides the belief that greenhouse gasses contribute to global warming. Cognitive dissonance https://magazin-bezhimii.ru/catalog/kosmetika/naturalnaya-dekorativnaya-kosmetika/gel-fiksiruuschii-dlya-brovei-foet-prozrachnyi-5-ml can make people feel uneasy and uncomfortable. This is particularly true if the disparity between their beliefs and behaviors involves something that is central to their sense of self. Once a choice has been made, however, people need to find a way to reduce these feelings of discomfort.

• And it can be troubling and mentally exhausting to deal with, Curry says.
• In fact, it is a psychological mechanism that helps us perceive our world (and our place in it) consistently.
• 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.
• Sometimes when patients engage in a new, more constructive behavior, they can perceive dissonance simply because it is contrary to the way they used to act.
• This could include changes in behavior or attempts to ignore information that contradicts a goal or desire.

However, the research shows that cognitive dissonance can have positive effects. When we process the dissonance and understand why it’s happening, we can make changes that bring us into alignment. For example, let’s say you watch a documentary that gives you some new beliefs about the ethics of fast fashion. You didn’t think about https://celebrationvet.com/blog/page/4/ it much before, but if you continue to make the same clothing choices, you’ll feel some cognitive dissonance. In the 1950s laboratory experiments on cognitive dissonance, participants had to complete a series of boring tasks. They were then given either $1 or $20 to tell a person in the waiting room that the task was fun.

Cognitive Dissonance Examples

But that consistency doesn’t always happen, and distress can arise as a result. Most of these techniques share a common grounding and background in traditional cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy techniques. Another example can be seen in many people’s continuing to smoke two or three packs of cigarettes a day, even though research shows they are shortening their own lives. Cognitive dissonance can affect our cognitive biases, and vice versa.

• 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.
• Alternatively, they may reduce cognitive dissonance by being mindful of their values and pursuing opportunities to live those values.
• Festinger proposed that the greater the discomfort, the greater the desire to reduce the dissonance of the two cognitive elements” (Harmon-Jones & Mills, 1999).
• Since cognitive dissonance often naturally occurs after a decision such as a purchase, this is what questionnaires have focused on.
• Sometimes, new information leads to cognitive dissonance, but that also allows you to take new actions you may not have thought about taking before.

Ready for personal growth?

• Festinger and Carlsmith (1959) conducted one of the first studies examining cognitive dissonance.
• A person with cognitive dissonance experiences mental conflict and may take steps to try to resolve it.
• On the tragic day of October 7, 2023, I woke up to the horrifying news of the atrocities committed by the terrorist group Hamas in Israel.
• It occurs in all of us frequently, not just when planning to diet and justifying a doughnut with a delayed diet start.
• People may run into problems with cognitive dissonance because it can be, in its most basic form, a sort of lie to oneself.

Cognitive dissonance is an internal tool for building self-awareness. In order to live our lives with purpose, clarity, and passion, we need these tools to understand when we’re losing sight of our internal compass. Developing the self-awareness to notice and question the dissonance often resolves it.