How to explain the theory of cognitive dissonance in simple words?

The main idea of ​​Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance in simple words

The developer of the concept is Leon Festinger, who studies thought control. In 1957, he published The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, which has become one of the most influential theories in the world of social psychology.

The teaching began with the postulate that elements of knowledge can be relevant and irrelevant to each other. And if two elements of cognition are relevant, they can either agree or disagree with each other.

When the elements are coordinated, the second follows from the first. If there is inconsistency, then it is not the second that follows from the first, but its opposite.

The doctrine is aimed at explaining the emergence of motivation for people’s actions

As soon as an individual encounters contradictions in his picture of the world, he does everything possible to get rid of this contradiction, because it is mentally uncomfortable, since human nature is such that he strives to be consistent in his thoughts and actions.

The desire to get rid of the discomfort of contradictions is, according to Festinger, the motivation for action.

The cognitive approach postulates that a person acts based on his knowledge and established ideas. At the same time, although needs play a certain role in shaping behavior, they are by no means the most significant. Much more important is how a person explains the state of things to himself. And these explanations may change.

On the material plane, dissonance of cognitions manifests itself in the fact that people believe in one thing, but behave differently - often not at all in the way that could be expected based on their ideas about reality, which they did not voice. Such a gap is recognized and causes anxiety and discomfort, which the individual wants to get rid of.

Examples of dissonance from life

The phenomena of cognitive dissonance have haunted us since infancy. A child grows up in a family where there is a smoking mother. The woman is not ashamed of her habit and tars on the balcony. The boy has developed the knowledge that smoking is normal, because that’s what his mother, the best and smartest, does!

Entering adolescence, the guy lights a cigarette, but is met with a shout from his mother: “If I see you again, you’ll get a belt!” There are two contradictory information: “Smoking is normal, that’s what mom does” and “Smoking is bad, you will be punished for it.”

Another example. The father constantly punishes his daughter for the lack of order in the room, scattered things, and unwillingness to clean. At the same time, the girl sees that dad most often reclines on the sofa and he cares little about the cleanliness of the apartment.

In both cases, the child must compare these two knowledges and make a choice between them, otherwise the dissonance will not be removed. If it is easier for an adult to navigate a problem, or at least not to get hung up on it, then for a child or teenager, cognition can drag on for a long time and cause psychological trauma.

In the adult world, there are also many reasons for the development of cognitive dissonance. For example, a girl is dating two men, both of whom proposed marriage to her. A woman wants to get married, she is ready to build a family and have children. However, the choice between the candidates is not simple.

The first young man with whom she has had a long-term relationship since school. There is passion, mutual understanding, sexual harmony between them. However, the guy has a secondary vocational education, does not have his own home, and has a low-paid job.

The second man is 10 years older, divorced, the relationship is smooth and calm, sex is “without spark”. At the same time, he holds a high position in a state corporation, has a house by the sea, an apartment in Moscow and other less significant attributes of material wealth.

The girl has to choose: either live with love, but without money and the prospect of quarrels on domestic grounds, or sleep with the unloved, irritated by his everyday actions, but not knowing material worries and with the prospect of falling in love someday.

Agree, both options have good and bad sides, the choice is not easy. No matter who the girl chooses, she may regret the second alternative. We deliberately miss the point that, for real, this woman probably doesn’t love anyone; this is a topic for another article.

A person faces the same difficult choice when it comes to entering an interesting, “like” job that pays little, and a highly paid position that will not bring moral satisfaction. It is necessary to carefully analyze your feelings and the consequences of your choice.

If you do what you love, is it possible to increase your income in the future, and at this moment, will you have enough money to adequately support your family? Or not talk about dignity, but only about acceptability (having the bare necessities).

If you take a “money” position, won’t you feel self-loathing; how justified is such a deal with your conscience? Will material wealth bring happiness and joy? What if lack of fulfillment in the profession will lead to such a depressive state that money won’t help?

The choice is always up to the individual. It is very important to identify your basic needs and principles and follow them, so that the situation of dissonance is closed.

Signs of dissonance

• Feeling of discomfort when having to make a decision. Every day we encounter manifestations of such dissonance when choosing goods and services.
• Uncertainty about the decision that has already been made, the correctness of the action taken, forcing us to look for more and more new explanations for why we acted this way and not otherwise.
• Shame and guilt for one's actions, usually accompanied by a clear intention to hide what was done.
• Conformism.
• Actions out of fear of missing out on an opportunity, and not due to the internal desire to do it - “everyone ran, and I ran.”

Examples of cognitive dissonance

Every day we find ourselves in situations where A and B do not agree, and this causes us discomfort. Some inconsistencies are trivial and go almost unnoticed. Some can lead to deep internal conflict.

Here are some simple examples. We experience cognitive dissonance when:

• we listen to statements from politicians that are at odds with their actions;
• we think about getting rid of a bad habit and immediately find a lot of arguments in favor of why such getting rid of it is impossible or pointless;
• We weigh all the pros and cons when choosing any product or service, especially in a high price category for us;
• We learn that our favorite celebrity behaved dishonestly (from our point of view);
• expose the lies of loved ones;
• We observe people whose way of life and habits are completely opposite to ours;
• We try a dish that we have regarded as “disgusting” since childhood and suddenly realize that it is delicious.

If we are shown a yellow circle with the word “green” written on it, we will also fall into dissonance.

Dissonance in psychology

Mental discomfort caused by the clash of conflicting beliefs is called cognitive dissonance . In a situation where this internal conflict does not receive a timely resolution, it reaches the external level and becomes the cause of discord in relations between people.

Dissonance can appear between children and parents, between a man and a woman, between an individual and society. It becomes especially acute in cases where a person has a pronounced individuality, and his worldview contradicts generally accepted views.

Such an individual (who is this?) brings a feeling of disharmony into everyday situations, disturbs the consciousness of others with an unusual manner of behavior, loud statements, and atypical reactions to what is happening.

Each case of psychological dissonance requires a careful approach. If resolved in a timely manner, it allows not only to preserve the relationship, but also to take it to a new higher level.

Causes of mental discomfort

• It is impossible to build a clear, logically verified model, since the same phenomenon has detailed, often scientifically based, but contradictory explanations. So we can easily read two new textbooks by different authors on the same topic and find in them diametrically opposed explanations of the same phenomenon. Or get expert advice that completely contradicts each other on one issue.
• Obtaining new information on an issue, even if this information does not refute the previous one, but only expands it, can also lead to cognitive dissonance. After all, new information makes the model of any phenomenon more complex. And the more complex the model, the more difficult it is to give it a complete, complete form in which everything is balanced and understandable.
• Having other people have an alternative opinion, as well as the awareness that other people behave in a way that seems effective to us, but achieve success.
• The gap between what is commonly thought about a particular problem in the society in which a person lives, and the individual’s own view of it. Some call this the spirit of contradiction. For some, forced compliance. In any case, this is a situation where a person is forced to follow the lead of the majority, or be beaten.
• Inconsistencies between personal experience and theoretical data. Each of us has an idea of ​​how something should be. But since these are only our ideas, the real state of affairs often refutes them. As a result, we are forced to behave differently than we intended. This is where cognitive dissonance arises, which worries us and forces us to find explanations that reconcile opposites.

The main condition for emergence is the presence of choice

We worry only when we can accept one point of view and reject another. When it is in our power to behave one way or another. If there is no choice, then there is no discomfort.

We may be torn between the desire to eat a bun and the perceived need to lose weight. But if we are in a besieged city, we are unlikely to find ourselves in such a predicament.

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.

The Power of Dissonance

The severity of the discomfort we experience depends on several indicators:

• on the value we attach to our belief;
• on the degree of discrepancy between established opinion and new data;
• on the amount of inconsistent data (the more different, contradictory factors that must be taken into account, the higher the stress);
• the proximity of the refuted belief to ourselves (it is easier for us to be disappointed in someone than in ourselves).

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.

The influence of mental discomfort on the psyche

In psychology, cognitive dissonance is always discomfort and anxiety, which can manifest itself as:

• regret, embarrassment, shame, guilt;
• sadness;
• despair;

The consequences of dissonance, which cannot be reconciled in any way, can be:

• general long-term stress;
• deterioration of self-esteem;
• development of depression and/or chronic anxiety;
• refusal of useful activities.

Under the influence of serious cognitive dissonance, affecting aspects of life that are important to us, the algorithms of how we think and act can change. Changes can be both positive and negative.

Principles of Deliverance

To get rid of cognitive dissonance, we must abandon one of the contradictory elements of cognition. But which one to choose: A or B?

The element that has less stability will be changed. There are two main factors that influence sustainability:

• the number of data points disproving the element;
• emotional importance of an element for a person.

For most people, the second factor is much more important than the first. If giving up a cognition leads to pain and a sense of loss, we will give it up with great difficulty, even if it is contradicted by a million other elements.

In his textbook 1957 work, Leon Festinger describes this state of affairs with the example of a smoker who skillfully refutes why smoking is not as harmful as people say, and why quitting smoking itself can lead to negative health consequences.

To get rid of the discomfort of cognitive dissonance, we must:

• or add positive reinforcements to our established point of view, a decision made, a stereotype of actions, etc.;
• or reduce the amount of positive data for the dissonant element.

You can also:

• reduce the number of disadvantages of our usual model;
• remove the advantages of the hated oppositionist.

How to Reduce or Eliminate Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance is not a mental illness or pathology. However, it takes us out of the zone of stability and comfort, therefore, if a person is not a “victim” in life, sick of his own suffering, then he will try to get out of this state.

What can be done to eliminate dissonance or minimize its consequences:

• Since an unpleasant state arises due to the contradiction of two cognitions (knowledge, principles), one of them should be transformed. You need to convince yourself that one of the postulates is not true or does not matter. Women often have a desire to lose weight, but at the same time many love sweets and starchy foods. In order not to torment yourself, you need to overcome one of two beliefs. Either convince yourself that being overweight suits you and does not interfere with your life, or (if we are talking about maintaining health) form the belief that cake is harmful and not tasty. There is only one cognition left - “I dream of being slim and healthy”; we have eliminated the knowledge that a bun is vital for us and gives pleasure. There is no more dissonance.
• Setting a filter to receive information that causes cognitive dissonance. For example, if you don’t have the strength to quit smoking, then you don’t need to read articles about the dangers of smoking or rummage through websites looking for information about lung cancer. This way the problem will only get worse, the internal contradiction will intensify to the point of developing psychosomatic diseases. On the contrary, you need to avoid this topic in every possible way, and not look at the scary pictures on cigarette packs. If you can’t get rid of the habit, at least there won’t be any mental anguish about it.
• In situations of choosing one of two decisions, you should respect your choice and approve it in every possible way internally. The more positive aspects we find in an acceptable alternative, the sooner we will calm down.

Have you decided to buy an apartment rather than a country house? Convince yourself that it is easier, requires less investment in maintaining technical condition, is closer to work, you don’t have to take care of the garden, etc. Such simple and accessible methods will help get rid of the manifestations of cognitive dissonance or minimize it.

How We Typically Deal with Cognitive Dissonance

• One of the most common ways to cope with discomfort is the cognitive bias “confirmation bias,” where we deliberately seek out information that confirms our point of view and reject all other information. And we do it creatively.

So if we need to justify our bad habit, to which we are dearly attached, but information about the negative influences of which is pouring down on us from all sides, we can delve into the study of the problem and find the most intricate evidence of why our habit is not as harmful as it is believed think.

For example, some smokers, having heard that nicotine can help prevent parkinsonism, explain their addiction by saying “I’m protecting myself from parkinsonism.” Although, if such an effect does occur, it relates specifically to nicotine as an agonist of N-acetylcholine receptors in the brain, but not to carcinogenic tars, which cause the main harm to health. But smokers deliberately miss this nuance.

• Another dysfunctional method of struggle is shifting responsibility for one’s decisions onto other people and external circumstances. Sometimes we admit that we were wrong, but we explain this by saying that we were forced to behave this way, for example, we were given a lot of money.

“I did it,” says my memory. “I couldn’t do it,” says my pride and remains adamant. Eventually memory gives way.

This quote from Friedrich Nietzsche describes the option of getting rid of dissonance, which L. Festinger wrote about. The author of the theory believed that some people may actually sincerely believe that they did not do or say something if this action causes too much cognitive discomfort.

• If cognitive dissonance is caused by social pressure on us, we hide from it, hiding our true opinion. Or we retire to the society that agrees with our opinion.

A productive method of getting rid of justifying efforts

We encounter minor cognitive dissonances almost every day. Many of them do not have a serious impact on our lives. But some pose serious harm because they do not provide the opportunity to get the desired result, improve health, improve relationships, etc.

This happens primarily when we need to do something unpleasant. In this case, we immediately find explanations why this unpleasant thing should not be done. We inventively prove to ourselves that this can be not only useless, but even dangerous.

I can't cut down on sweets, because if I don't eat sweets, I'll be stressed. And if I’m stressed, I’ll lose my temper and start eating a lot of sweets and gain weight even more.

I can't cook healthy food at home. Because for this you need to buy food and spend time preparing it. And if I spend time on this, I won’t have enough time for work. As a result, I will be fired. And then I will have nothing to eat. So, you'll have to eat fast food.

To get rid of such cognitive dissonance, you need to maximize the importance of the result that unpleasant actions give.

So, if the need to lose weight is not obvious to us, we will neither cook healthy food at home nor give up sweets. To carry out these actions, you need to load the expected positive result from weight loss not just with importance, but with mega-need.

Strengthening the benefits

The main thing is to understand why you need the result that unpleasant actions should bring. And this “why” should be truly important.

If you're going to university just to make your parents happy, you're unlikely to make them happy for long unless you understand why you really need this education. But you can easily find a lot of arguments why you should quit.

Misha and Masha also studied, but they never found an interesting, well-paid job. They get three kopecks, they pull the strap. I can pull such a burden even without education. Why bother?

Exaggerating the harm

The answer to the question “why?” does not necessarily have to be related to the potential benefit of the desired outcome. The prospect of avoiding negative developments often turns out to be more significant than the expectation of certain goodies. The stick always works better than the carrot.

This is clearly noticeable in people who have already harmed their health with bad habits.

So many smokers can talk at length and at length about why there is no need to quit smoking. But as soon as obliterating endarteritis turns the prospect of limb amputation from illusory to real, all explanations as to why one should not quit smoking evaporate. The answer to the question “why do you need to do this?” becomes obvious. Cognitive dissonance disappears.

Using discomfort to your advantage

You may get the impression that cognitive dissonance causes a lot of harm - irritation, depression, refusal to perform activities. But that's not true. A state of discomfort can push a person to productive activity; it is not for nothing that the theory of dissonance itself is a motivational theory.

Back in 1980, Princeton University professor Joel Cooper noted that all psychotherapeutic practices - from psychoanalysis to cognitive behavioral therapy - use a state of dissonance to motivate the patient to action, force a change in worldview and improve the quality of life.

Today, cognitive dissonance is actively used in practices aimed at ridding patients of various addictions, correction of eating behavior and treatment of obesity, treatment of depression and anxiety-phobic disorders.

Essentially, what a psychologist or psychotherapist does is to immerse the patient in a state of severe cognitive discomfort, from which he (if he has a desire to get rid of problems and competent management of therapy by a specialist) comes out refreshed and can improve the quality of his life.

For example, people with a tendency to overeat and are significantly overweight skillfully justify their behavior with a whole bunch of explanations, many of which are supposedly scientific in nature.

A doctor (in this case, it is better that it is a person with a higher medical education, and not just a psychologist) can authoritatively refute these false explanations, placing a person in an unpleasant state of mental discomfort, which can push him to change his worldview, and, consequently, to normalization of eating behavior and weight loss.

It works similarly for any other neurotic disorder, for example, panic.

Every person with panic disorder believes that panic is dangerous. Some consider it a heart attack and are sure that they will die from it.

Someone has already realized that this condition has nothing to do with heart disease, but is afraid that the motor may not withstand such severe anxiety. After all, the hero of Arthur Conan Doyle’s story “The Hound of the Baskervilles” died of fright.

Someone fears that it is not the heart or blood vessels that will not be able to withstand it, but the “roof” itself – it will go away completely.

In any case, a person is afraid of a panic attack and considers it dangerous, otherwise he would have been healthy a long time ago.

The specialist’s task is to parry the patient’s arguments explaining the risk of panic and putting forward counterarguments that prove the subjective unpleasantness, but at the same time harmlessness, of this condition.

The greater the cognitive discomfort created by such a discussion, the more likely it is that the patient will stop panicking because he actually realizes that his fears are groundless.

You can benefit from cognitive dissonance yourself.

No one bothers us to collect reliable facts that refute our usual train of thought if this move does not lead to success.

Dissonance in architecture, painting, design

In fine arts and architecture, dissonance is the inconsistency of elements of an artistic composition in color, size, scale, and shape.

The authors use this technique deliberately to enhance the impression of what they see or to focus the viewer’s attention on individual details. The principle of dissonance was very popular in Baroque architecture. Nowadays, it has also not lost its relevance, although sometimes it makes an ambiguous impression...

In painting, the principle of inconsistency received a separate development. It is known that Vincent Van Gogh loved to use tragic color dissonances . A striking example of this approach is his painting “Night Cafe”.

In creating this masterpiece, the artist uses sharp angular contours, reduced perspective lines, too intense contrasting colors, too dark shadows. All these techniques are aimed at causing the viewer a feeling of anxiety, melancholy, and loneliness.

Dissonance is very popular among modern designers and fashion designers .

In their decors and couture outfits they use broken, torn shapes and incompatible materials. In recent years, this stylistic device has become especially popular.