By using these types of explanations, the smoker is able to reduce the dissonance and continue the unhealthy behavior. Cognitive dissonance is a well-researched psychological phenomenon. It occurs in all of us frequently, not just when planning to diet and justifying a doughnut with a delayed diet start.

What is the difference between cognitive dissonance theory and balance theory?

You try to stuff those unpleasant feelings down but they keep popping up. If that same person believes the COVID-19 pandemic is real but refuses to wear a mask, their values and behaviors would contradict each other. It can help to view the situation you’re in from the outside, stepping back so you can see the big picture. “Give equal weight to how others experience you, and using others as a mirror, begin to identify places where your belief systems and behavior do not align,” Curry says. “Then ask yourself why you behaved as you behaved.” This can help you see how you got into the situation and hopefully you can see a way to resolve it.

Radical Acceptance—Part 1: Saying goodbye to the way of life we once knew

The degree of dissonance experienced can depend on a few different factors. Among them are how highly a particular belief is valued and the degree to which the beliefs are inconsistent. Hypocrisy involves a contradiction between a person’s supposed principles, beliefs, or character and who they really are or how they behave. Cognitive dissonance is the unpleasant mental state that may result if someone really does have certain beliefs but thinks or acts in a way that contradicts them.

Cognitive Dissonance: Festinger’s Theory

Integrity is the path to positive self-worth, more peaceful emotions, and a successful, purposeful life. Integrity is about closing the gap between what we think and how we act. Resolving cognitive dissonance is essential to living a life of purpose, meaning, joy, and growth.

But when it comes to cognitive dissonance, it’s best to resolve it through really taking the time to clarify. Dissonance makes us feel unsettled, guilty, uncertain, fake, or bad about ourselves. And this feeling isn’t just in our minds; it creates measurable physical tension.

• As established, dissonance is a lack of agreement between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
• Cognitive bias is the tendency to process information in the light of our own experiences.
• For example, people may feel cognitive dissonance if they enjoy drinking alcohol, despite knowing too much may be bad for their health.
• ] and if the decision was close then the effects of cognitive dissonance should be greater.
• An extreme example of the negative consequences of cognitive dissonance is when we justify our partner’s harmful behavior toward us and get stuck in a toxic relationship.
• This person obviously has the knowledge that he or she smokes whilst also knowing that smoking is bad for them.

For example, turning pegs (as in Festinger’s experiment) is an artificial task that doesn’t happen in everyday life. Notice that dissonance theory does not state that these modes of dissonance reduction will actually work, only that individuals who are in a state of cognitive dissonance Top 5 Advantages of Staying in a Sober Living House will take steps to reduce the extent of their dissonance. Talking to a coach can help you develop self-awareness and understand the source of your cognitive dissonance. Coaches are skilled at helping people navigate the stages of behavior change and resolve internal discomfort.

How to Reduce Cognitive Dissonance

Because the task wasn’t validated by a sufficient monetary reward, they made up an internal motivation that justified the lie. If a person finds themselves in a situation where they have to do something that they don’t agree with, they’ll experience discomfort. Since they can’t escape the action, they attempt to re-establish their reasons for doing it in a way that makes the action acceptable. https://thealabamadigest.com/top-5-advantages-of-staying-in-a-sober-living-house/ Sometimes, new information leads to cognitive dissonance, but that also allows you to take new actions you may not have thought about taking before. Sometimes, when you’re faced with difficult decisions in the moment, it’s best to take a break and revisit it later when all parties have processed what’s happened. This is especially true if you’re caught up in a toxic work environment.