Cognitive Dissonance
What is Cognitive Dissonance?
The psychological discomfort experienced when holding two or more contradictory beliefs, values, or attitudes, or when behavior conflicts with beliefs.
Quick Answer
Cognitive dissonance is the psychological discomfort of holding contradictory beliefs or acting against your values. It motivates you to resolve the inconsistency.
Scientific Background
Developed by Leon Festinger in 1957. Dissonance creates motivation to reduce the inconsistency through belief change, behavior change, or rationalization. It explains post-decision justification and resistance to belief change.
How to Measure
Typically studied through experimental paradigms creating inconsistency and measuring attitude change. Self-report measures of discomfort and physiological arousal can also indicate dissonance.
Real-World Implications
- Explains why people rationalize bad decisions rather than admitting error
- Drives confirmation bias and resistance to contradictory information
- Can be leveraged for behavior change by creating small commitments
- Understanding it helps recognize when you're rationalizing
Common Misconceptions
- Dissonance is not just "hypocrisy"—it's the uncomfortable feeling that motivates resolution
- Reducing dissonance isn't always changing beliefs—behavior change works too
- Some dissonance is healthy—it signals need for examination
Related Concepts
Related Definitions
Quick Facts
- CategoryCognitive
- MeasurableYes
- TrainableAwareness helps
- Related Tests2
Explore Other Categories
Sources
- American Psychological Association (APA)
- Peer-Reviewed Research Literature
- Psychometric Assessment Standards
- Handbook of Personality Psychology
References & Sources
Nisbett, R. E. (2015). Mindware: Tools for Smart Thinking. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Sternberg, R. J. (2020). The Cambridge Handbook of Intelligence (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
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Cognitive Dissonance: Frequently Asked Questions
What is cognitive dissonance?+
Cognitive dissonance is the psychological discomfort of holding contradictory beliefs or acting against your values. It motivates you to resolve the inconsistency.
Why is cognitive dissonance uncomfortable?+
Humans are motivated to maintain consistent self-concepts and worldviews. Inconsistency threatens this coherence, creating psychological tension that demands resolution.
How do people reduce cognitive dissonance?+
By changing beliefs, changing behavior, acquiring new information that resolves the conflict, or rationalizing the inconsistency away.
Is cognitive dissonance bad?+
Not necessarily. Dissonance signals inconsistency that may need examination. However, resolving it through rationalization rather than honest assessment is problematic.
How can cognitive dissonance be used positively?+
Small commitments create dissonance that motivates larger consistent actions. Making values explicit creates dissonance when behavior doesn't match.
