Cognitive dissonance: description and examples. Cognitive dissonance examples

THE COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

(English) cognitive dissonance) - the experience of discomfort arising from actions that go against one’s own beliefs(attitudes). Internal problem, intrapersonal conflict can be resolved by changing beliefs or interpretation of the situation. Cm. , .

Large psychological dictionary. - M.: Prime-EVROZNAK. Ed. B.G. Meshcheryakova, acad. V.P. Zinchenko. 2003 .

The cognitive dissonance

   THE COGNITIVE DISSONANCE (With. 303) - a negative incentive state that arises in a situation where a person has two opposing ideas, judgments, intentions, etc., related to one object; the central concept of social psychological theory developed by American psychologist Leon Festinger.

Festinger in his research relied on the principle of balance, using it in analyzing a person’s perception of the world. He himself begins the presentation of his theory with the following reasoning: it has been noticed that people strive for some consistency as a desired internal state. If there is a contradiction between what a person knows, and the fact that he does, then they try to somehow explain this contradiction and, most likely, present it as consistency in order to regain a state of internal cognitive consistency. Next, Festinger proposes to replace the term “contradiction” with “dissonance” and “coherence” with “consonance”, since this last pair of terms seems to him more neutral, and now formulate the main provisions of the theory. It can be stated in three main points: a) Dissonance may arise between cognitive elements; b) the existence of dissonance causes a desire to reduce it or prevent its growth; c) the manifestation of this desire includes: either, or a change in knowledge, or careful, selective attitude To new information. As an illustration, the now familiar example of a smoker is given: a person smokes, but at the same time knows that smoking is harmful; he experiences dissonance, which can be overcome in three ways: a) change behavior, that is, quit smoking; b) change knowledge, c in this case- convince yourself that all discussions about the dangers of smoking at least exaggerate the danger, and are even completely unreliable; c) carefully perceive new information about the dangers of smoking, that is, simply ignore it.

The main practical conclusion arising from Festinger's theory is that any psychological element of the subject can be changed: by questioning what a person thinks about himself, one can cause changes in his behavior, and by changing behavior, a person changes his opinion about himself . By subjecting oneself to self-control and self-analysis, working on self-esteem, a person develops and grows personally. Otherwise, he gives his mental work to others, becoming a victim (or an instrument) of someone else's influence. This is exactly what the results of superbly constructed experiments and his colleagues say.

One of the first experiments to test the theory of cognitive dissonance was conducted by J. Brem. He asked subjects to first evaluate several household electrical appliances - a toaster, hair dryer, etc. Brehm then showed the subjects two of the objects that they had carefully examined and said that they were allowed to take any of them to choose from. Later, when subjects were asked to rate the same items again, they were more praising of the item they had chosen and less praising of the item they had rejected. In the light of Festinger's theory, the reason for this behavior is clear. Having made a difficult choice, people experience dissonance: knowledge of the negative characteristics of the chosen object is dissonant with the fact of its choice; knowledge of the positive characteristics of the rejected item is dissonant with the fact that the item was not chosen. To reduce dissonance, people emphasize the positive aspects and downplay the negative aspects of selected items and, conversely, emphasize the negative aspects and downplay the positive aspects of an unselected item.

E. Aronson and J. Mills suggested that if people expend a lot of effort, and even more so make some sacrifices in order to gain access to a group that then turns out to be boring and uninteresting, then they will experience dissonance. The knowledge of what they had to endure will be dissonant with the knowledge of negative aspects groups. People don't like wasting effort and making sacrifices that don't pay off. To relieve dissonance, they try to change the perception of the group in positive side. In Aronson and Mills' experiment, female college students were required to pass an entrance test to become members of a discussion club discussing the psychology of sex. For some of the girls, these tests were very unpleasant - they were required to openly demonstrate their sexual liberation in the presence of a male experimenter. Even those who agreed to this (and not everyone agreed) felt embarrassed and, that is, had to overcome themselves. For others, the test was easier - they were allowed, at their discretion, to perform the procedure incompletely and remain within the bounds of traditional decency. Still others were completely spared entrance test. Then all subjects listened to a tape recording of one of the discussions held in the club to which they had been accepted. As expected, the girls who had gone through the most difficult and humiliating test rated the material they listened to as very interesting and meaningful, and this rating was much higher than that given by the other two groups of subjects.

Another experiment, conducted by Aronson and his colleagues a few years later, was based on the assumption that if a threat is used to prevent people from doing something they love, then the smaller the threat, the more these people will tend to disparage it in their eyes. case. If a person abstains from a favorite activity, he experiences dissonance. The knowledge that he loves this activity is dissonant with the knowledge that he is forced not to do it. One way to reduce dissonance is to deemphasize the activity in your own eyes. Thus, there is an excuse for why a person does not do what he loves. Moreover, a weak threat causes less self-justification. This leads to adding your own reasons for self-conviction that a person does not like doing what he loves at all. Aronson's experiment found that children who were given symbolic punishment for using a favorite toy decreased their love for that toy to a much greater extent than those who received actual punishment.

Popular psychological encyclopedia. - M.: Eksmo. S.S. Stepanov. 2005.

The cognitive dissonance

An unpleasant feeling arising from the inconsistency of a number of attitudes or beliefs regarding one object. The following causes of cognitive dissonance are distinguished:

When two attitudes are somehow inconsistent with each other, for example, “I like this person” and “I don’t like this person’s political views.”

When people commit actions that they did not intend to do, or behave contrary to the expressed attitudes. For example, a person promotes the benefits of

The fewer reasons a person has for such behavior, the stronger will be the feeling of dissonance and motivation to change the basic attitude in order to restore correspondence between attitude and behavior. Eg. our all-vegetarian could have had a wide choice of foods, but chose steak (weak argument). or was forced to eat a steak at gunpoint (a strong argument). In the first case, the occurrence of cognitive dissonance is much more likely than in the second. The theory of cognitive dissonance implies that behavior that is inconsistent with our attitudes causes us to change them in order to get rid of negative feelings.

Psychology. AND I. Dictionary reference / Transl. from English K. S. Tkachenko. - M.: FAIR PRESS. Mike Cordwell. 2000.

See what “COGNITIVE DISSONANCE” is in other dictionaries:

THE COGNITIVE DISSONANCE- (lat. dissonans discordant sounding, cognitio knowledge, cognition) a concept in social psychology that explains the influence of a system of cognitive elements on human behavior, describing the formation of social motivations under their influence... ... The latest philosophical dictionary

THE COGNITIVE DISSONANCE- (cognitive dissonance) A condition characterized by a collision in the mind of an individual of conflicting knowledge, beliefs, and behavioral attitudes regarding some object or phenomenon. A person seeks to overcome cognitive dissonance by... ... Dictionary of business terms

THE COGNITIVE DISSONANCE- intellectual conflict that arises when existing opinions and ideas are contradicted by new information. Discomfort or tension caused by conflict can be relieved by one of several protective actions: the individual... ... Philosophical Encyclopedia

THE COGNITIVE DISSONANCE- English dissonance, cognitive; German cognitive dissonance. According to L. Festinger, a state characterized by a collision in the individual’s mind of conflicting knowledge, beliefs, and behavioral attitudes regarding k.l. object or phenomenon that causes... Encyclopedia of Sociology

the cognitive dissonance- noun, number of synonyms: 1 inadequate state (1) ASIS Dictionary of Synonyms. V.N. Trishin. 2013… Synonym dictionary

The cognitive dissonance- (from the English words: cognitive “cognitive” and dissonance “lack of harmony”) a state of an individual characterized by a collision in his consciousness of conflicting knowledge, beliefs, behavioral attitudes regarding some ... ... Wikipedia

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THE COGNITIVE DISSONANCE- (cognitive dissonance) a case of discrepancy, opposition or contradiction of thoughts, attitudes or actions, leading to a feeling of tension and the need to achieve agreement. The term was coined by Festinger (1957). According to his definition,... ... Large explanatory sociological dictionary

Cognitive dissonance is mental condition, accompanied by discomfort caused by inconsistency or inconsistency in the mind of a number of contradictory ideas and concepts. Despite the complexity of the name and definition, every person encounters something similar almost every day. Sometimes we, without knowing it, plunge ourselves into such a state, but more often this happens for reasons independent of the person.

Meaning of the concept

Cognitive dissonance is a psychological phenomenon that involves the occurrence of some inconsistency between two cognitions. Thus, often in his actions a person has to either neglect social guidelines or sacrifice personal principles. Because of this, a certain disagreement arises between action and belief.

As a result of the onset of cognitive dissonance, a person may resort to justifying his own actions or misconceptions that run counter to generally accepted norms. Otherwise, the individual has to direct his thinking in a new direction, which would correspond to the opinions of others and reduce contradictory feelings.

Cognitive dissonance - what is it in simple words?

Many psychological concepts and terms are not so easy to understand and understand their meaning. Sometimes detailed explanation is required. This also applies to such a phenomenon as cognitive dissonance. What is this in simple words? The explanation of this concept is much simpler than it might seem at first glance.

Each person has some kind of life experience and personal opinion regarding the solution of certain situations. However, it is not always possible to solve a particular problem based on one’s own ideas. Sometimes a person goes against his own opinion, for example, to please the opinions of others, social values, or the norms of the law. This discrepancy between thoughts and actions is called cognitive dissonance.

Sometimes it happens that an individual consciously or unconsciously violates certain rules (or even commits a crime). In this case, it is important to receive justification not only from others, but also from yourself. Thus, a person begins to look for or invent moments that can mitigate guilt in order to ease internal contradiction. It is also worth noting that such contradictions can arise not only among one individual, but also at the level of the collective.

Cognitive dissonance also often occurs when a person has to make an important decision. The individual is overcome by doubts that do not go away even when the final choice is made. Mental activity for some time will be aimed at sorting through possible options and their consequences in your head.

Causes of cognitive dissonance

Cognitive dissonance can arise due to several common reasons, among which the following are worth highlighting:

• inconsistency of ideas and concepts that guide a person when making certain decisions;
• discrepancy between life beliefs and generally accepted norms in society or in a certain circle;
• the spirit of contradiction caused by the reluctance to follow generally accepted cultural and ethical norms, and especially when they run counter to the law;
• discrepancy between the information obtained as a result of a particular experience and new conditions or situation.

Author of the theory

The author of the theory of cognitive dissonance is Leon Festinger. This doctrine was presented in 1957 and was intended to explain the essence, causes, and patterns of this phenomenon. The author considered this concept as a phenomenon of inconsistency between various thoughts and ideas of an individual (or a group).

Hypotheses of the theory

L. Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance is based on two main hypotheses, which are as follows:

• due to the fact that the occurrence of cognitive dissonance is accompanied by psychological discomfort, the individual will try in every possible way to overcome this discrepancy;
• from the first point we can derive the second, which states that a person will in every possible way avoid situations that could plunge him into such a state.

Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance not only provides an interpretation and clarification of concepts, but also explains ways out of this state. In addition, the scientist considers a number real cases, which are the most typical examples in psychology.

The essence of the theory

The first thing worth noting is the fact that the theory of cognitive dissonance belongs to the category of motivational ones. This means that this state is decisive in the behavior of the individual. We can say that it is ideas and beliefs that largely influence a person’s actions, as well as his life position. Thus, knowledge cannot be interpreted only as a set of certain facts. These are, first of all, motivational factors that determine human behavior both in everyday life and in non-standard situations.

The concept of cognitive dissonance combines two categories. The first of them is intelligence, which is considered as a set of certain beliefs and knowledge, as well as attitudes towards them. The second is affect, that is, the reaction to pathogens and stimuli. At the very moment when a person ceases to find a connection or feels internal contradictions between these categories, a state of cognitive dissonance occurs.

The process itself is inextricably linked with past events and experiences of the individual. So, having committed a certain act, a person may begin to repent or experience remorse. Moreover, this can happen after a significant period of time. Then the individual begins to look for an excuse for his action or some facts that can mitigate his guilt.

How to reduce dissonance?

The state of cognitive dissonance causes psychological discomfort, which the individual, quite naturally, tries to get rid of (or at least somewhat reduce the unpleasant sensations). There are several ways to achieve relief from a contradictory condition, namely:

• change the line of your behavior (if you feel that you are doing wrong, or are acting contrary to your beliefs, you should direct your efforts in the opposite direction, if this seems possible in this particular case);
• convince yourself (meaning the search for justification for your actions in order to reduce their guilt or even make them correct in your understanding);
• filter information (in order not to feel internal contradictions, you should perceive only positive data, and not take all negativity seriously or avoid it altogether);
• take into account all the information and facts about the current situation, form an idea about it, and then build a new line of behavior that will be considered the only correct one.

How to avoid dissonance

Since the phenomenon of cognitive dissonance is associated with discomfort and psychological stress, many prefer to prevent this condition rather than deal with its consequences later. One of the most accessible ways to achieve this is to avoid any negative information that may contradict your personal beliefs or the current situation. This method fits into the concept of psychological defense, which was developed by Sigmund Freud and later developed by his followers.

In the case where the occurrence of cognitive dissonance could not be avoided, its further development can be combated. To do this, additional elements are introduced into the cognitive system, which are designed to present the current situation in a positive light. In this case, you need to ignore or in every possible way avoid those sources of information that can return you to the initial state.

One of the most common and accessible ways to cope with dissonance is to accept reality and adapt to it. In this regard, it is worth convincing yourself that the situation is acceptable. In addition, if the phenomenon is long-term, then psychological work should be aimed at changing one’s own beliefs

Cognitive dissonance: examples from life

In real life, quite often you can encounter such phenomena that cause a feeling of inconsistency or inconsistency of beliefs with the real situation. This is cognitive dissonance. Their examples are quite numerous.

The simplest example is a gold medalist and a C student who entered the university. It is quite logical that teachers expect high results and a decent level of knowledge from the first, but do not have much hope for the second. However, it may turn out that an excellent student will answer the question very mediocrely and incompletely, while a C student, on the contrary, will give a competent, meaningful answer. In this case, the teacher experiences cognitive dissonance due to the fact that his beliefs turned out to be inconsistent with the real situation.

Another example given by psychologist A. Leontyev illustrates the desire to reduce discomfort. Thus, imprisoned revolutionaries were forced to dig holes as punishment. Naturally, the prisoners found this activity unpleasant and even disgusting. To reduce the feeling of psychological discomfort, many gave their actions new meaning, namely, causing harm to the current regime.

Also, cognitive dissonance can be considered in relation to people who have bad habits (for example, smokers, or those who abuse alcohol. It is quite natural that they all sooner or later realize the harm of these phenomena for their body. In this case, there are two scenarios. Either the individual tries by all available means to get rid of a bad habit, or begins to look for excuses for himself, which in his mind can outweigh the possible harm that will be caused to health.

Another example is also related to the typical life situation. So, for example, you see a beggar on the street who is asking for alms, but according to him appearance you can say that he doesn’t really deserve the money or doesn’t need it that much (or maybe he will spend it not on food or medicine, but on alcohol or cigarettes). Nevertheless, under the influence of your life principles or moral standards, you cannot pass by such a person. Thus, under the guidance of social principles, you do what you do not want.

Sometimes it happens that before an important exam, a student simply does not prepare for it. This may be due to laziness, health conditions, unforeseen circumstances and so on. Thus, understanding your responsibility for the result and realizing possible consequences, the individual, however, makes no attempt to learn the notes.

Girls who strive to lose weight and torment themselves with diets are often exposed to cognitive dissonance. If at this time they want to eat, for example, a cake, then this will contradict their goals and general ideas about proper nutrition. There are several possible solutions to the problem here. You can continue to insist on your own and deny yourself sweets, or you can stop the diet altogether, making sure that you already look good. You can also make yourself a one-time indulgence, which will later be compensated by fasting or physical activity.

Conclusion

Many scientists and psychologists have studied the issue of cognitive dissonance. It is especially worth paying attention to the works of Leon Festinger, as well as Sigmund Freud and his followers. Their theories are the most complete and contain not only information about the phenomenon itself and its causes, but also about ways to solve the problem.

It is worth noting that the theory that describes the phenomenon of cognitive dissonance relates to motivational ones. The contradiction that arises as a result of the discrepancy between beliefs and desires and real actions largely influences what the individual’s behavior will be in the future. He can come to terms with the situation and try to reconsider his ideas, which will somewhat reduce the state of dissonance, or he can resort to attempts to explain or justify his behavior, avoiding real data and facts (protecting himself from the outside world).

To avoid a state of cognitive dissonance, you should avoid contradictory states and information that contradicts your beliefs. In this way, you can protect yourself from internal contradictions that arise from the need to act contrary to your desires and beliefs.

Cognitive dissonance: how to recognize the problem and cope with it A harmonious perception of the world around you and your own personality is considered an essential quality happy person. One of the common psychological problems is the occurrence of cognitive dissonance, which is accompanied by severe moral and emotional discomfort. This term was introduced to the world by Fritz Heider in 1944, and later Leon Festinger developed a theory explaining the causes and mechanism of dissonance.

Cognitive dissonance occurs due to a person having several contradictory cognitions. Cognitions should be understood as any ideas, knowledge, conclusions, moral values ​​and even emotional reactions to what is happening around. When contradictory cognitive elements appear, a person experiences severe psychological discomfort and, on a subconscious level, looks for ways to solve this problem.

Cognitive dissonance: causes

The causes of cognitive dissonance are best explained by the theory of the same name proposed by Leon Festinger in 1957. To better understand the meaning of the term “cognitive dissonance,” you should know that dissonance is a violation of harmony, the emergence of contradictions in a certain coherent structure, in this case, cognitive, that is, associated with the processes of cognition.

There are several main causes of cognitive dissonance, which include:

• A logical inconsistency between a certain process or phenomenon with knowledge and ideas about it;
• A discrepancy between a person’s individual opinion and the opinions of the majority of people around him;
• Discrepancy between previously acquired experience and the repeated situation;
• Following cultural customs or traditionally established patterns of behavior contrary to one’s own opinion about them;

An internal contradiction that arises for the first time or continues for some time is what cognitive dissonance means for common man. Every person has encountered cognitive dissonance to one degree or another at least once throughout their life, and the reaction to the occurrence of this condition can be very different. However, what is common to all is the search for justification for contradiction and inconsistency in order to restore balance to the system of one’s knowledge and beliefs.

In addition to highlighting the main causes of cognitive dissonance in his theory, Festinger formulated two main hypotheses about how a person can act to eliminate the psychological discomfort that has arisen. According to the first hypothesis, a person will direct his efforts to completely eliminate or reduce the discrepancy between cognitions. He will search Additional information, confirming his correctness or refuting new information. The second hypothesis involves a person avoiding situations that increase cognitive dissonance, and even his own memories and thoughts about it.

If you ask a person what cognitive dissonance meant to him and what emotions he associated it with, most people will remember awkwardness and decreased self-confidence. This condition generally negatively affects not only the state of the psycho-emotional sphere, but over time can lead to the development of serious health problems. Therefore, when a person experiences cognitive dissonance, they trigger defense mechanisms, which consist of justifying one’s thoughts and actions or completely ignoring them.

Cognitive dissonance may be caused by insufficiently attentive perception of the world around us, the inability to identify cause-and-effect relationships in a given situation, or ignorance of any issues. All these problems can be solved by training on the BrainApps resource, where a large number of games and useful articles for personal improvement.

Cognitive dissonance: examples

To better understand what cognitive dissonance is, real-life examples are best. A person can experience cognitive dissonance at any age, but not everyone can recognize this unpleasant phenomenon. One of the simplest and most understandable examples is people who smoke or abuse alcohol. People receive information about the dangers of cigarettes and alcoholic beverages literally at every step, but they are in no hurry to change their habits.

A heavy smoker or alcohol lover with cognitive dissonance can justify himself by difficult life circumstances, the need for relaxation and detachment from everyday problems, however, despite all this, he knows very well that he is causing irreparable harm to his health. Subsequently, he may begin to study information that will confirm that nicotine or alcohol are not so bad. hazardous substances, and in some cases even useful. Also, most likely, he will begin to avoid any conversations about his bad habits and react negatively to any attempts to remind him of the harm to his health. It is this situation that clearly illustrates cognitive dissonance and a person’s natural reaction to it.

In the case of smoking or alcohol, cognitive dissonance is very pronounced due to psychological and physical dependence on drugs. However, the problem may arise due to other life circumstances. Very often, cognitive dissonance is encountered when it is necessary to make a specific choice. Also, communication and interaction with other people causes cognitive dissonance; usually, any person can give examples of such dissonance from his own life experience.

For example, you were asked for a loan by an acquaintance who is famous for his careless attitude towards money and addiction to gambling. You know very well that he has great financial difficulties, and he has already failed to repay the debt to you and other people several times. However, you lend him a certain amount money and begin to experience severe psychological discomfort due to cognitive dissonance, because previously acquired experience and information indicate that you made the wrong decision. To drown out the cognitive dissonance that has arisen, you can begin to justify your action by believing in the best, pity or generosity, and also try to avoid talking about this situation with family and friends.

Another striking example of cognitive dissonance is a popular experiment illustrating the influence public opinion per person. One participant is selected from the group in advance and shown, for example, a red object. Then they ask what color this item is for the selected participant and for the rest of the group. Most, following a preliminary agreement, insist that the item shown of blue color. If a person who has seen the color red with his own eyes agrees with the majority opinion, he will experience strong cognitive dissonance and will feel morally and psychologically bad.

Having analyzed the concepts of cognitive dissonance using ordinary, everyday examples, it is easier to analyze your behavior and the behavior of other people, as well as choose the right tactics further actions. Each person, in most cases, can cope with this problem if he acknowledges its existence. Therefore, if you suspect that you have cognitive dissonance, examples from the lives of other people or past experiences will help you quickly get rid of unpleasant feelings and find inner harmony.

How to Deal with Cognitive Dissonance

The occurrence of cognitive dissonance should not be perceived as something terrible and irreparable. Every person has the right to make erroneous judgments and actions, and information coming from outside is not always absolutely correct. Therefore, if you are faced with the problem of cognitive dissonance, it is better to choose one of the following behavioral tactics:

1. Consider the situation from a different point of view. This tactic is suitable for overly self-confident people who have difficulty accepting that they are wrong. It is very important to recognize the possibility of error or misconception on your part, and in this case, cognitive dissonance disappears on its own. For example, Negative consequences your actions are explained by the mistake you made. In this case, the situation is logical and psychological discomfort is significantly reduced;
2. Change your behavior pattern. This is necessary if you know for sure that through your actions or inaction you are harming yourself or your loved ones. For example, a woman is already long time suffers from headaches and insomnia and knows the consequences of ignoring the problem, but constantly puts off visiting a doctor due to fear or lack of free time. In this situation, signs of cognitive dissonance and general state women are only getting worse. As soon as she visits the doctor, the psychological discomfort will disappear, because she did what she thought was right;
3. Don't dwell on the past. If you have done something in the past that was contrary to your own beliefs and principles, then you should not constantly revive this event in your memory. Consider the consequences of cognitive dissonance as a learning experience and try not to make the same mistake again;

It is also desirable to prevent the occurrence of cognitive dissonance. To do this, you should try to act in accordance with previously acquired experience and knowledge and not deviate from your beliefs and ideas. However, being obsessed with being right won’t help either; you always need to be ready to revise or supplement the information you already have about any phenomenon or situation. There is no need to categorically reject the opinions or actions of other people; always try to get more information about different points vision.

The presence of cognitive dissonance often means finding yourself in an unusual and, at first glance, hopeless situation. In this case, it is necessary to quickly analyze the problem and find a completely new solution. This will allow you not to get hung up on the phenomenon of dissonance and successfully cope with it. Accelerating thinking and creativity are key factors in such a situation, and games on the BrainApps website will help develop them.

Cognitive dissonance is not always a completely negative factor. Sometimes it is precisely due to the emergence of cognitive dissonance that a person receives a powerful incentive to develop, work on himself and self-improvement. In everyday life, it is almost impossible to avoid the appearance of contradictory feelings, actions and knowledge, but you can always find a way to look at the situation from different angles and restore harmony.

What does cognitive dissonance mean? When encountering this concept, most people are confused because they do not understand its meaning. However, it is quite common in our everyday life. In most cases, so often that we don’t even notice it. Let's take a closer look at this issue.

Cognitive dissonance theory

The theory of cognitive dissonance is called Festinger's theory. This scientist first described the psychological state of an individual who is faced with a certain discrepancy in his idea of ​​an object or phenomenon. Festinger called the theory of cognitive dissonance a condition in which the usual idea of ​​​​an object collapses. The individual remains at a loss because he does not know what to do with the new information, how to apply it and what should be done.

Cognitive dissonance as a phenomenon develops for several reasons. These reasons are simple and understandable for those who think about the origin of certain concepts. The theory of cognitive dissonance is a topic that deserves detailed consideration and comprehensive study. As a rule, it interests people close to psychology, involved in personal development and self-improvement. A sufficient number of examples from life can be given.

Mismatch of expectations

This is the first and most main reason the appearance of cognitive dissonance. The discrepancy between expectations leads to the fact that a person begins to build in his head a search for understanding of some issue, to look for an appropriate explanation. And this cannot always be done in a rational way. If the phenomenon or event that occurs does not correspond to the expectations placed by the participants in the action or simply observers, then cognitive dissonance occurs. This phenomenon is also called mental shock. An example can be given as follows: in an exam, teachers always expect a better answer from a stronger student. If a mediocre student suddenly begins to show bright, extraordinary abilities, while an excellent student, for some unknown reason, cannot put two words together, then the certification commission is, to put it mildly, very surprised. This is how cognitive dissonance forms. His theory implies the presence of some kind of mental inconsistency, a disagreement in understanding the essence of things.

Difference of opinions

Such a phenomenon as a difference of opinions can also cause the formation of cognitive dissonance. The fact is that in a dispute situation, every person is inclined to consider himself right. This is why an opponent's theories are often perceived as incorrect and, in some cases, even unworthy of attention. In this way, people protect their personal space and preserve their individuality. Being true to your own opinion allows you to remain yourself and not adapt to your partner. The theory of cognitive dissonance includes many examples that show how difficult it is for people to come to terms with the presence of an opposing judgment.

The theory of cognitive dissonance itself implies some disagreement with the views and judgments of the opponent. That is, a person intentionally or unwittingly begins to speak out against his interlocutor. Even if there is no open conflict between them, tension in the interaction will still be felt. Some people for years do not express to each other the complaints that they carry in their hearts. This position allows them not to openly conflict and not express accumulated discontent until the last moment. Of course, this approach cannot be called correct. Rather, it helps to lose trust, relationships become dry and formal. An example would be a situation where partners protect their personal space and at the same time learn something completely unexpected about each other. Here the cognitive dissonance is manifested very clearly.

Deviation from generally accepted norms

In the public consciousness, moral norms have great importance. When someone tries to speak out against social attitudes, people around them usually get shocked. It’s just that people’s consciousness is structured in such a way that it perceives only that information that it is able to comprehend, understand and accept. Any deviation from generally accepted norms is often perceived not just with hostility, but as something dangerous. People in most cases try to avoid unknown concepts. Subconsciously, their internal psychological defense mechanism is triggered. An example of cognitive dissonance in this case is the perception of homosexual behavior by others. Most people simply cannot perceive this phenomenon adequately. If this concerns their relatives, for many this circumstance is a reason for shame. People do not dare share such details about their relatives among their colleagues, fearing expressed misunderstanding and condemnation.

Social conflict

The theory of cognitive dissonance is extremely interesting to researchers in the field of self-improvement and personal growth. Modern psychological science examines this phenomenon from different angles, trying to understand its nature. Cognitive dissonance occurs due to social differences. Social inequality gives rise to many misunderstandings and open discontent. In an effort to take care of their own well-being, people sometimes easily forget about those around them.

Manifestations of cognitive dissonance

Cognitive dissonance manifests itself in a certain way in everyday reality. This phenomenon occurs quite often in our lives. If people were more attentive even to their own feelings, they would be able to detect manifestations of some discrepancy between their own and other people's expectations. What are the ways of expressing the theory of cognitive dissonance?

Psychological discomfort

This phenomenon is required condition for the emergence of cognitive dissonance. Psychological discomfort appears when a person is unable to satisfy his significant needs. The fact is that a person simply does not know how to cope with growing anxiety and despair. He makes some attempts to feel better, but this is not always successful. Psychological discomfort becomes a clear manifestation of the discrepancy between internal expectations and the efforts made. People most often do not even try to analyze what is really happening to them and do not understand own feelings. Psychological discomfort often forces a person to look for some kind of justification for his actions, to rely on strangers. IN difficult situations almost everyone feels extremely insecure.

Feeling confused

Cognitive dissonance is one of those phenomena that often begins to control a person’s life. A person experiences a feeling of confusion when he is faced with a situation that is incomprehensible to himself. Trying to solve it in his usual way, he often fails. That is why in a state of confusion it is so difficult to find correct solution. There may be a way out for everyone in their own direction. But when expectations do not meet, it is human nature to get lost. In some cases, faith in one's own prospects and capabilities is lost. The feeling of confusion in many cases does not allow achieving significant results. A person begins to feel a sense of self-doubt. Prospects and opportunities seem very vague, uncertain and even unrealistic. If every person learned to maintain a sense of inner balance, he would be able to feel better under any circumstances. A feeling of confusion often prevents us from experiencing the wonderful moments of life and getting closer to understanding the essence of our being.

Negative feelings

Not all feelings bring joy and happiness to a person. The emotional sphere is a system that has not yet been fully studied by leading experts in the field of psychology. It is known that positive emotions help prolong life, and negative feelings contribute to a deterioration in the quality of life. A person's state changes depending on the emotions he experiences. Negative feelings often create cognitive dissonance. This happens because emotions greatly influence the ability of people to hear and understand each other. There are enough examples in life of what big influence have feelings on the state of mind. A personality can fully develop only when it is not limited by its own emotions. Rejecting and rejecting something prevents you from getting closer to the desired result. The discrepancy between one's own expectations leads to internal conflict and does not allow the individual to feel happy and self-sufficient. How more people tends to dwell on his own shortcomings, the more susceptible he is to the negative effects of stress.

Thus, cognitive dissonance is a phenomenon in which a person cannot feel whole and self-sufficient. The more surprise and negative impressions we experience at the moment of emotional shock, the more difficult it becomes to believe in what is happening and to try to find the right solution.

Each person, in essence, strives to live in peace with himself, forming his own “cosmos” throughout his life: his views, worldviews, his own philosophy and beliefs. It's like building your own fortress, in which you feel safe and right in all your actions.

But sometimes this fortress wants to be shaken by certain forces that come into our lives in the form of the actions of other people or some incomprehensible and new information that does not in any way agree with our internal understanding of things.

It is at this moment that a certain internal conflict and stupor begins, which each of us tries to overcome or solve. And this very state in smart scientific language is called cognitive dissonance.

For example, I tell you the word: nuns. And you already have an idea of ​​who they are, what they look like, what actions are inherent and which are not inherent in this category of people. Now look at the picture and fall into a state of cognitive dissonance.

Happened? I think yes. As we see, our ideas did not at all match the reality shown in the picture.

The very concept of cognitive dissonance was introduced by American psychologist Leon Festinger in 1957. His theory was supposed to explain how situations of conflict are generated within the individual himself in the process of cognition, which are caused by some events or actions of other people. There are two main hypotheses in the theory of cognitive dissonance:

• A person experiencing dissonance is in a state of psychological discomfort, which prompts him to take action to remove the discrepancy between internal beliefs and newly learned information.
• In order not to experience this discomfort, a person will avoid situations that could aggravate this condition.

In everyday life, people do not think about how difficult it can sometimes be for a person in a state of such internal imbalance; the very role of cognitive dissonance is underestimated. And a person who is in such a position, in order not to aggravate his condition, temporarily abandons his attitudes and makes any decision, as if aside from his worldview, which causes a discrepancy between what the person does and what he actually thinks.

After this experience, the individual may change some internal attitudes in order to reduce tension and subsequently justify their actions, mistakes or decisions.

Cognitive dissonance can be caused by various conditions, this can be provoked by a collision with another culture, and with some new situation that runs counter to experience from the past, it can also be the opinion of a person that does not correspond to the opinion of the majority, or a logical inconsistency of things or facts.

Depending on the conditions under which cognitive dissonance occurs, it can either increase or decrease.

Examples from life

For example, you are helping a person who doesn’t really need your help, it seems like the degree of discomfort is minimal, but if urgent matters that are overwhelming you are added to this situation, then its degree will increase significantly. The intensity of dissonance is directly proportional to the importance of the choice that a person faces at that moment, and the very state of internal conflict always motivates a person to eliminate it. And in order to get out of this state, a person can change his beliefs, or change his tactics of action, or simply critically evaluate the information received and prevent it from influencing his life.

For example, consider a situation where a certain girl “in body” suddenly realizes the need to become slim beautiful figure and sets the goal to just get himself a new body. To reach your intended goal, you need to accomplish many things, including going to training, and reviewing your diet, following diets and the correct regimen. If the internal conflict of desire slim figure and the need to carry out constant actions reaches a peak level, then in order to avoid internal conflict the search for the necessary reasons will begin: there is no time to go to the gym, and there is not much money, and the state of health is worsening from the diet, and the body as a body will do anyway... That's all will come down to avoiding internal contradictions and returning “peace” within oneself.

How to avoid this condition?

To avoid a state of cognitive dissonance, you can ignore information that relates to a given problem, but goes against the tasks that already exist. If it was not possible to avoid dissonance, you can smooth out its actions by accepting new aspects into your belief system, replacing the old ones. In reality, we will need to search for information that will justify our actions and thoughts and ignore old knowledge that refute our actions. But this path may be the path to neurosis and psychological disorders.

If you have read Carlos Castaneda, you may now remember Don Juan talking about how modern man looks at this world. According to him, a person is in a soap bubble of his illusions and tries to see this world through a keyhole, seeing only a small share reality and for the most part only a reflection of itself. Therefore, it is so important in life to expand your consciousness and allow events, phenomena and new information to enter your life painlessly. Make room for everything new and don’t deny something that doesn’t fit with your value system.

Causes

Why does such a thing as cognitive dissonance arise? It’s simple, we are so convinced that we are right and that our views are undeniable that everything should be only the way we imagine and nothing else.

Many people believe that their opinion is the truth and do not subject their thoughts to any refutation or doubt.

They believe that they are doing everything right and everything should be the way they want. But life is so diverse and dictates its own, pushing them like stubborn donkeys from their own fortresses, that flying from these steep walls sometimes changes not only a person’s thoughts, but also life itself. And as a rule, the most persistent beliefs are broken by life itself, calling for comprehension of the multifaceted nature of the world and the many paths.

Cognitive dissonance is inherent in all people, but its understanding and awareness can give us the discovery of new ideas, thoughts, as well as rethinking our cobwebbed foundations, it’s like a sip clean air in the continuously moving stream of life.

Could you remember the state of internal conflict? What was it about and what did it teach you?

Write your situation, which you can attribute to cognitive dissonance, from the above. The comment form is waiting for you below...