Description:
Cognitive
dissonance is the excessive mental stress and discomfort experienced by an
individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the
same time.
Dissonance
increases with:
·
The importance of the subject to us.
·
How strongly the dissonant thoughts conflict.
Dissonance
is often strong when we believe something about ourselves and then do something
against that belief. If I believe I am good but do something bad, then the
discomfort I feel as a result is cognitive dissonance.
Cognitive
dissonance is a very powerful motivator which will often lead us to change one
or other of the conflicting belief or action. The discomfort often feels like a
tension between the two opposing thoughts. To release the tension we can take
one of three actions:
·
Change our behavior.
·
Justify our behavior by changing the conflicting
cognition.
·
Justify our behavior by adding new cognitions.
Dissonance
is most powerful when it is about our self-image. Feelings of foolishness,
immorality and so on (including internal projections during decision-making)
are dissonance in action.
If
an action has been completed and cannot be undone, then the after-the-fact
dissonance compels us to change our beliefs. If beliefs are moved, then the
dissonance appears during decision-making, forcing us to take actions we would
not have taken before.
Cognitive
dissonance appears in virtually all evaluations and decisions and is the
central mechanism by which we experience new differences in the world. When we
see other people behave differently to our images of them, when we hold any
conflicting thoughts, we experience dissonance.
Dissonance
increases with the importance and impact of the decision, along with the
difficulty of reversing it. Discomfort about making the wrong choice of car is
bigger than when choosing a lamp.
Research:
Festinger
first developed this theory in the 1950s to explain how members of a cult who
were persuaded by their leader, a certain Mrs Keech, that the earth was going
to be destroyed on 21st December and that they alone were going to be rescued
by aliens, actually increased their commitment to the cult when this did not
happen (Festinger himself had infiltrated the cult, and would have been very
surprised to meet little green men).
The dissonance of the thought of being so stupid was so great that instead they revised their beliefs to meet with obvious facts: that the aliens had, through their concern for the cult, saved the world instead.
The dissonance of the thought of being so stupid was so great that instead they revised their beliefs to meet with obvious facts: that the aliens had, through their concern for the cult, saved the world instead.
In
a more mundane experiment, Festinger and Carlsmith got students to lie about a
boring task. Those who were paid $1 for the task felt uncomfortable lying.
Example:
Smokers
find all kinds of reasons to explain away their unhealthy habit. The
alternative is to feel a great deal of dissonance.
So what?:
Using it:
Cognitive
dissonance is central to many forms of persuasion to change beliefs, values,
attitudes and behaviors. The tension can be injected suddenly or allowed to
build up over time. People can be moved in many small jumps or one large one.
Defending:
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