Cognitive Dissonance: Definition and Examples

It sounds so simple, but if she were to start finding a way to exercise a little bit each day, her feeling of dissonance would be replaced by a feeling of pride. Dissonance feels like having one foot on one boat and the other foot on another boat. As the two boats, as our actions and beliefs, drift further apart, we get increasingly more uncomfortable. There is also https://thebostondigest.com/top-5-advantages-of-staying-in-a-sober-living-house/ some ambiguity (i.e., vagueness) about the term “dissonance” itself. Is it a perception (as “cognitive” suggests), a feeling, or a feeling about a perception? Aronson’s Revision of the idea of dissonance as an inconsistency between a person’s self-concept and a cognition about their behavior makes it seem likely that dissonance is really nothing more than guilt.

• Cognitive means thinking, and dissonance means a lack of harmony between two things.
• Unlike hypocrisy, cognitive dissonance threatens our identity and sense of self.
• Inconsistent or conflicting beliefs lead to disharmony, which people strive to avoid.
• As we mentioned earlier, many people know that smoking is harmful to their health — yet they continue to do it.
• Socrates extolled that “An unexamined life is not worth living.” In other words, challenge and be skeptical of such answers if you find yourself falling back on them.

What Is Cognitive Dissonance Theory?

Another means to reduce cognitive dissonance is selective exposure. This theory has been discussed since the early days of Festinger’s proposal of cognitive dissonance. The idea is, choosing something that is in opposition to how you feel or believe in will increase cognitive dissonance.

• If they did, that indicated they had a sense of guilt that they understood enough to need to cover it up.
• Maybe the decision or commitment wasn’t as right for us as we initially thought, even if it means overcoming our “no second-guessing” bias and making a different decision.
• Cognitive dissonance is an internal tool for building self-awareness.
• After an overindulging evening in a special event, he may experience an intense feeling of discomfort (regret and guilt) for his behavior.

How Cognitive Dissonance Feels

You can also lessen the chances of dissonance beginning in the first place if you practice being mindful, Noulas says. So, for instance, when conflict or tension arises, take the time to pause and think through your situation and your feelings. Recognizing Sober House and reconciling cognitive dissonance is not always a feel-good experience. Spotting dissonance in our own lives can be painful, embarrassing, and anxiety-inducing, too. And it can be troubling and mentally exhausting to deal with, Curry says.

Self-perception theory

Dr. Vohs discusses the topic as it relates to supporters of Former President Donald Trump justifying one of his controversial tweets in 2019. Addicted individuals crave drugs and alcohol, which distorts their ability to process information. When making the choice of whether to use or not, they believe in holding onto the ideas and comfort of engaging in things that they know are bad and irrational to a majority of other people. Another effect is having a greater need for clarity to help resolve the discomfort.

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• This is especially true if you’re caught up in a toxic work environment.
• 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.
• While smokers are not craving, the shift in balance between benefit and negative consequences will motivate smokers to quit.
• Cognitive dissonance can feel a lot like anxiety and stress — and they often come paired together.
• If the person changes the current attitude, after the dissonance occurs, they are then obligated to commit to that course of behavior.

It was proven that individuals tend to look for some sort of stability and dependability with their attitudes, perceptions, and thoughts. But, oftentimes, their beliefs and actions/behaviors do not match up. People fail to realize that everyone has different feelings and beliefs, which will influence how they are going to behave. The saying actions speak louder than words rings true in this case. In other words, as cognitive dissonance is described as a person who experiences feelings of internal discomfort, as a result of having two opposing cognitions in their mind at the same time, Festinger’s theory was correct.

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This leads to a state of ‘dissonance’ – a feeling of discomfort – that we cannot sustain. This produces a feeling of mental discomfort leading to an alteration in one of the attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors to reduce the discomfort and restore balance. To ease the psychological pain of rejecting one choice (FOMO, anyone?) we often start justifying our decision. When we do this by thinking up positives for our choice and negatives for the other option, it’s called the “spreading of alternatives.” Your brain feels better when you can align your behavior with your values.

• When our friends or partners act contrary to our beliefs and values, we perceive dissonance.
• Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values; or participates in an action that goes against one of these three.
• The truth is, most of us have experienced dissonance at one time or another.
• By minimizing or avoiding these irrational thought patterns, clients can maintain a more balanced perspective, lower anxiety, and feel better about themselves.