Resolving Cognitive Dissonance

—Understanding, Identifying, and Addressing Inner Conflict

Continuing to smoke while recognizing the dangers of smoking causes cognitive dissonance.

Introduction: Defining Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when an individual experiences conflicting beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors, leading to a state of mental discomfort or tension. Coined by psychologist Leon Festinger in the 1950s, cognitive dissonance theory suggests that humans have a natural drive to maintain consistency in their thoughts, feelings, and actions. When inconsistencies arise, individuals are motivated to reduce this dissonance through various cognitive processes.

Cognitive dissonance results from a perceived lack of congruence somewhere in your life.

Description of Cognitive Dissonance

Imagine a person who strongly values environmental conservation but regularly drives a gas-guzzling SUV. This individual experiences cognitive dissonance due to the inconsistency between their environmental beliefs and their transportation behavior. Similarly, someone who holds the belief that smoking is harmful to health but continues to smoke may also experience cognitive dissonance.

Examples of Common Occurrences of Cognitive Dissonance

1. Health-related behaviors: Someone who knows the health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle but struggles to maintain a regular exercise routine may experience cognitive dissonance.
2. Political beliefs: Individuals who identify with a particular political party but encounter evidence contradicting their party's stance on certain issues may experience cognitive dissonance.
3. Consumer behavior: A person who prides themselves on frugality but indulges in frequent impulse purchases may experience cognitive dissonance regarding their spending habits.
4. Interpersonal relationships: Someone who values honesty but finds themselves lying to protect a friend's feelings may experience cognitive dissonance.

Consider these additional examples of common occurrences of cognitive dissonance.

Psychological Explanations for Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance arises from the discomfort caused by holding conflicting beliefs or engaging in behaviors that contradict one's self-image or values. According to Festinger's theory, individuals are motivated to reduce this discomfort through several cognitive strategies, including:

• Selective exposure: Avoiding information or experiences that challenge existing beliefs or behaviors.
• Rationalization: Justifying or rationalizing contradictory beliefs or actions to minimize dissonance.
• Changing beliefs or behaviors: Altering one's beliefs or behaviors to bring them into alignment with each other.

Common causes of cognitive dissonance

Some common causes of cognitive dissonance include:

1. Receiving new information that contradicts existing beliefs or behaviors. For example, learning that a favorite business has unethical practices, despite continuing to patronize the business.
2. Social pressures or expectations that conflict with one's personal beliefs or values. For example, feeling pressure to conform to stereotypes or participate in actions that go against one's principles.
3. Being forced into a decision or action that goes against one's preferences or beliefs. For example, having to choose between two equally appealing job offers, or being compelled to perform an action that contradicts one's values.
4. Expending significant effort towards a goal or behavior that ultimately proves to be negative or undesirable. This can lead to "effort justification" where the person tries to convince themselves the effort was worthwhile.
5. Holding contradictory beliefs, ideas, or attitudes simultaneously. For instance, believing smoking is unhealthy while continuing to smoke, or valuing healthy eating while also indulging in unhealthy foods.

Cognitive dissonance arises when there is a mismatch between a person's thoughts, beliefs, behaviors, and experiences, leading to feelings of mental discomfort that motivate the individual to resolve the inconsistency.

Noticing Cognitive Dissonance

Recognizing cognitive dissonance often involves an awareness of internal conflict or discomfort. Signs of cognitive dissonance may include feelings of guilt, anxiety, or frustration when faced with contradictory beliefs or behaviors. Additionally, individuals may experience heightened cognitive processing or rumination as they attempt to resolve the conflict.

Assignment

1. Notice when you are experiencing cognitive dissonance.
2. Identify the underlying conflict.

Resolving Cognitive Dissonance

Follow these steps to resolve existing cognitive dissonances.

Generating your cognitive dissonance inventory

Developing a list of cognitive dissonances you are experiencing requires introspection and structured thinking. Cognitive dissonance occurs when there are conflicting beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors within a person, causing discomfort or tension. Here's a step-by-step approach to creating such a list:

1. Identify Core Beliefs and Values

• Start by listing your core beliefs, values, and guiding principles. These might be moral values, religious beliefs, political ideologies, or personal goals.
• Example: “I believe in treating everyone with kindness and respect.”

2. Examine Current Behaviors

• Reflect on your daily actions, habits, and decisions. How do you behave in different contexts (work, home, social settings)?
• Example: “At work, I sometimes criticize my colleagues behind their back.”

3. Look for Conflicts

• Compare your actions and thoughts to your core beliefs. Where do you notice contradictions or discomfort?
• Example: “I value kindness, but my actions at work contradict this belief.”

4. Identify Justifications

• Notice if you are rationalizing or justifying these inconsistencies. Cognitive dissonance often leads to self-justifications to reduce discomfort.
• Example: “I justify criticizing my colleagues by saying it’s just to vent stress.”

5. Consider Emotional Reactions

• Pay attention to emotional discomfort like guilt, frustration, or confusion. Emotional tension can be a sign of cognitive dissonance.
• Example: “I feel guilty after venting about others.”

6. Write Down Specific Dissonances

• Create a list that matches specific beliefs or values with behaviors or thoughts that conflict with them.
• Example List:
  • Belief: “I value honesty.” Behavior: “I sometimes lie to avoid conflict.”
  • Belief: “I believe in environmental conservation.” Behavior: “I often drive when I could walk or bike.”
  • Belief: “I want to be a good parent.” Behavior: “I spend more time working than with my kids.”

7. Assess the Importance of Each Conflict

• Rate the significance of each dissonance on a scale (e.g., mild to severe discomfort) to prioritize where you might want to take action.
• Example: Conflicts related to family might cause more discomfort than minor environmental issues.

8. Revisit and Reflect

• Periodically return to the list as you grow and change. You might notice new dissonances arise or resolve old ones.

Cognitive Dissonance Identification Template

1. Core Belief/Value:

• Clearly define a core belief or value that is important to you.
• Example: "I value honesty."

2. Conflicting Behavior/Thought:

• Describe a specific behavior or thought that conflicts with this belief or value.
• Example: "I sometimes lie to avoid conflict."

3. Emotional Response:

• Note the emotional reaction you experience due to this conflict. Do you feel guilt, frustration, or tension?
• Example: "I feel guilty after telling a lie."

4. Justifications/Rationalizations:

• Write down any justifications or rationalizations you use to minimize the dissonance.
• Example: "I tell myself the lie is harmless and prevents a bigger issue."

5. Impact Assessment (1-5 scale):

• Rate the significance of the dissonance on a scale from 1 (low discomfort) to 5 (high discomfort).
• Example: "4 – I feel significant discomfort from this dissonance."

6. Action Plan (Optional):

• If you want to address the dissonance, outline steps you could take to reduce it.
• Example: "Commit to being honest in low-stakes situations, practice conflict resolution skills."

Sample Cognitive Dissonance Checklist

Core Belief/Value	Conflicting Behavior/Thought	Emotional Response	Justification	Impact (1-5)	Action Plan (Optional)
Value honesty	Lie to avoid conflict	Guilt	Lying avoids bigger issues	4	Practice being honest in small matters
Value environmentalism	Drive instead of walk	Mild guilt	I’m saving time	2	Walk more often when possible
Value kindness	Criticize colleagues behind back	Discomfort	Venting stress	3	Find healthier ways to express stress
Want to be a good parent	Spend more time working than with kids	Guilt and frustration	Work is for providing for the family	5	Set more boundaries between work and family time

You can print or write this out for different beliefs and use it to organize your thoughts.

Assignment

1. Use the techniques listed above to resolve your cognitive dissonance.

Conclusions

In conclusion, cognitive dissonance is a common psychological phenomenon that arises when individuals experience conflicting beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors. By understanding the nature of cognitive dissonance, recognizing its presence, and employing effective strategies for resolution, individuals can navigate inner conflicts and move towards greater harmony and consistency in their thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Recommended Reading

Students interested in learning more about resolving cognitive dissonance may be interested in the following materials:

• Wolpert, Lewis (July 17, 2008). Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast: The Evolutionary Origins of Belief. W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 256. ISBN 978-0393332032. 
• Tavris, Carol (August 4, 2020). Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts. Mariner. pp. 464. ISBN 978-0358329619. 
• Kashdan, Todd (April 21, 2009). Curious?: Discover the Missing Ingredient to a Fulfilling Life. William Morrow. pp. 352. ISBN 978-0061661181. 
• Burton, Robert (March 17, 2009). On Being Certain. Griffin. pp. 272. ISBN 978-0312541521. 
• Gray, Dave (September 14, 2016). Liminal Thinking: Create the Change You Want by Changing the Way You Think. Two Waves Books. pp. 184. ISBN 978-1933820460. 
• Miller, William R.; Rollnick, Stephen (2023). Motivational interviewing: helping people change and grow. Applications of motivational interviewing (Fourth edition ed.). New York: The Guilford Press. ISBN 978-1-4625-5279-5.