The original version of the theory leon festinger formulated the original theory of cognitive dissonance in the mid1950s, and the first formal and complete presentation of the theory appeared in 1957. Cognitive dissonance and experienced negative affect. Cd is among the most influential and extensively studied theories in social psychology e. However, this opened a new era of minitheories which originate from cognitive dissonance theory. The theory of dissonance is here applied to the problem of why partial reward, delay of reward, and effort expenditure during training result in increased resistance to extinction. Cognitive dissonance can lead to irrational decision making as a person tries to reconcile his conflicting beliefs. In the late 1970s, the interest in cognitive research faded.
The magnitude of dissonance between one cognitive element and the remainder of the persons cognitions depends on the number and importance of cognitions that are consonant and dissonant with the one in question. Keep an eye out, and youll see examples of dissonance all over the place. Evaluation of the theory and the areas of application 12. The effect of severity of initiation on liking for a group pdf. The underlying theory was developed by l festinger in a theory of cognitive. Jan 22, 2019 cognitive dissonance is defined as a state of mind where our belief does not match with our behaviour. The origins of cognitive dissonance evidence from childre n and monkeys louisa c. Bem claims that selfperception is a much simpler explanation than cognitive dissonance. This produces a feeling of mental discomfort leading to an alteration in one of the attitudes, beliefs or behaviors to reduce the discomfort and restore balance. If you study psychology there is a very good chance that you will be introduced to the theory of cognitive dissonance. Festinger developed the theory to explain how members of a cult, the seekers, were persuaded by their leader, mrs. Communication theories about the theories the theories presented here are related to communication.
In the rest of the book many behavioural facts supporting the theory are put forward. Psychologist leon festinger first described the theory of cognitive dissonance in 1957. If researchers cant observe dissonance, then the theory s core hypotheses arent testablea big problem for a scientific theory. Santos, and paul bloom yale university abstract n in a study explo ring the orig ins of cogni tive diss onance, presc hoole rs and capu chins were give n a choic e betw een two equa lly prefe rred alte rnatives two. One of the challenges that remains for dissonance theory going forward is a deeper examination of the process of dissonance reduction. I found that this book is little outdated, however, the reader can use this book to receive a sound background to explore the origins of the theory of cognitive dissonance. Leon festinger, one such noted social psychologist, explained that people, in the course of their daily lives, hold a myriad of cognitions simultaneously. Culture, cognitive dissonance and the management of change. Two putative measures of cognitive dissonance sciencedirect. Our objective is to model an agent who exhibits such cognitive dissonance. Social psychology cognitive dissonance flashcards quizlet. Cognitive dissonance 1 theory paper cognitive dissonance. Leon festinger may 8, 1919 february 11, 1989, was an american social psychologist, responsible for the development of the theory of cognitive dissonance, social comparison theory, and the discovery of the role of propinquity in the formation of social ties as well as other contributions to the study of social networks. Decades have passed since practitioners and theorists such as sigmund freud, alfred adler, carl jung, melanie klein, anna freud, karen horney, and william.
Cognitive dissonance theory, proposed by leon festinger in the 1950s, sought to explain the relationship between attitudes and behavior. According to festinger, cognitive dissonance occurs when peoples thoughts and feelings are inconsistent with their behavior, which results in an uncomfortable, disharmonious feeling. The theory revolutionized thinking about psychological processes, particularly. Abstractcognitive dissonance occurs when ones belief is contradicting with the behavior, according to festingers. This is chapter one of leon festinger, a theory of cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance theory links actions and attitudes. B people are less inspired to reduce dissonance when it is within their control. Festingers 1957 cognitive dissonance theory suggests that we have an inner drive to hold all our attitudes and behavior in harmony and avoid disharmony or dissonance. Since the emergence of the theory of cognitive dissonance in the 1950s, it has been developed and refined, not without controversy32, 3742. Cognitive dissonance refers to a situation involving conflicting attitudes, beliefs or behaviors. It refers to the mental conflict that occurs when a persons behaviors and beliefs do not align. Pdf increasing cognitive dissonance by a fait accompli. Over the past 60 years, researchers have produced significant theoretical and empirical contributions from cognitive dissonance theory.
Cognitivedissonancetheory after50yearsofdevelopment. What is cognitive dissonance, know its theory and examples. This is known as the principle of cognitive consistency. Cognitive dissonance theory, developed by leon festinger 1957, is concerned with the relationships among cognitions. Because cognitive dissonance is a relatively new theory, there are some that are skeptical of the idea. Higher the discrepancy between cognitions, higher is the magnitude of the dissonance.
Another argument that may support the use of the environmental frame for animal advocacy is related with behavioral and attitudinal change. According to cognitive dissonance theory, dissonance is most likely to occur when. A choice between two similarly valued alternatives creates psychological tension cognitive dissonance that is reduced by a postdecisional reevaluation of the alternatives. Pdf a theory of cognitive dissonance semantic scholar. Festinger presented dissonance theory during the heyday of cognitive consistency theories,and he discussed dissonance as a cognitive consistency theory. One of the most popular cognitive approaches to the study of motivation has been the theory of cognitive dissonance, first systematically studied by the american psychologist leon festinger. Apr 10, 20 cognitive dissonance challenges a possibility of human evolution. Cognitive dissonance theory has been known to play out in several ways.
For example, maybe you know you should be working on your speech, but you really want to go to a movie with a friend. The impact of cognitive dissonance theory continued from the late 1950s to the mid1970s. The study of cognitive dissonance is one of the most widely followed fields in social psychology. Which of the following statements is most likely to be true regarding cognitive dissonance. A common example of cognitive dissonance occurs in the purchasing decisions we make on a regular basis.
Cognitive dissonance theory in social psychology iresearchnet. Unexpected events can create internal dissonance by causing people to lose the desirable feelings of control and order. Introduced by leon festinger in 1957 in his book, a theory of cognitive dissonance, the cognitive dissonance theory focuses on how we as human beings always strive hard to make sure that our beliefs and actions are aligned with each other. Bem carnegie institute of technology a theory of selfperception is proposed to provide an alternative interpretation for several of the major phenomena embraced by festingers theory of cognitive dissonance and to explicate some of the. Ronis ohio state university recent revisions of cognitive dissonance theory no longer encompass some of the important examples, data, and hypotheses that were part of festingers original statement. Some data on reliability and construct validity of the measures were presented. Cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling caused by holding two contradictory ideas simultaneously. Inshort,weare exploring the consequences, not the causes, of cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance theory is based on three fundamental assumptions see figure 1. Pdf this article is a comparative study between predictive processing pp, or predictive. Attitudes may change because of factors within the person. Cognitive dissonance explains why people change their attitudes or behaviors when they are introduced to new and contradicting information. The advances in the history of cognitive dissonance theory.
This approach is based on the hypotheticodeductive method, which involves the following processes. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Cognitive dissonance challenges a possibility of human evolution cognitive dissonance cd is a discomfort caused by holding conflicting elements of knowledge. The self as irrelevant to dissonance processes a third theory of cognitive dissonance suggests that the self and selfesteem concerns are irrelevant to dissonance arousal and reduction.
Humans are sensitive to inconsistencies between actions and beliefs. Cognitive dissonance an overview sciencedirect topics. Understanding cognitive dissonance in smoking behaviour. Models of cognitive dissonance in economics treat beliefs as choice variables. Here are presented all the main aspects of the theory. A marketing and management perspective article pdf available in procedia social and behavioral sciences 24. Read on for some examples and practical applications of cognitive dissonance in this psychologenie article. One of the most popular examples of the cognitive dissonance theory in action is when a cult believed a ufo would land on earth, and destroy everyone except them. A field test of the relationship between cognitive. Lord wrote a paper on whether or not the theory of cognitive dissonance was not tested enough and if it was a mistake to accept it into theory. Leon festinger was the first psychologist to study cognitive dissonance around the 1950s, and his works, such as books and experiments, helped to shed light on the ways in which humans act to decrease cognitive dissonance.
A theory of cognitive dissonance 1957 pdf cooper cognitive dissonance. A recent theory by festinger 1957 attempts to state the conditions under which discrepancies between cognitions produce cognitive dissonance, a state of tension that motivates the individual to reduce or eliminate the discrepancies. C an individual does something that is personally disagreeable. An introduction to the theory of cognitive dissonance.
Cognitive dissonance theory is applicable in all situations which involves formation and. Cognitive dissonance can occur in many areas of life, but it is particularly evident in situations where an individuals behavior conflicts with beliefs that are integral to his or her selfidentity. One of the conditions that may be necessary for the creation of cognitive dissonance is that there be some element of volition. Cognitive dissonance theory and research dominated social psychology from the 1950s until the 1970s. But even before festinger was the greek fabulist aesop. It can thus be concluded that the theory of cognitive dissonance is a nomothetic theory one that seeks universal and general laws. According to cognitive dissonance theory,an individual experiences a mental discomfort after taking an action that seems to be in con. This article was originally published in the encyclopedia of human behavior published by elsevier.
Keech, that the earth was going to be destroyed on december 21 and that only those people who were part of the cult would be rescued by aliens and saved from earths demise. Cognitive dissonance cd theory is arguably one of the most influential. The theory of cognitive dissonance festinger, 1957. C people are less likely to reduce dissonance when the behavior is crucial. An actionbased model of cognitive dissonance processes eddie harmonjones, cindy harmonjones, and nicholas levy the university of new south wales abstract the actionbased model extends the original theory of cognitive dissonance by proposing why cognitive inconsistency causes both dissonance and dissonance reduction. The freechoice paradigm of cognitive dissonance theory states that dissonance is likely to occur after a decision, which requires a change in existing attitudes or behaviors, has been made. The present research sought to address this lacuna in research on cognitive dissonance theory. The cognitive dissonance theory and its function in public. Dec 14, 20 although dissonance theory indicates that cognitive dissonance produces the above pattern of changes, an alternative explanation is that the observed pattern of changes is the result of the experimental design.
Purchase conditions which should produce varying levels of postpurchase dissonance. This article was originally published in the encyclopedia. The theory has been revised by researchers who emphasize the role of selfconcept in the arousal of dissonance. Festingers theory proposes that inconsistency among beliefs or behaviours causes an uncomfortable psychological tension i. An important factor here is the principle of cognitive consistency, the focus of festingers 1957 theory of.
In a time of abundant information, the risk of picking up only those data that support our previous convictions is always there. Cognitive dissonance is the negative feeling that results from conflicting beliefs and behaviors. Although cognitive bias modification can refer to modifying cognitive processes in healthy individuals, cbmt is a growing area of evidencebased psychological therapy, in which cognitive processes are modified to relieve suffering from serious depression, anxiety, and addiction. We measured eeg of human subjects during rest and freechoice paradigm. The origins of cognitive dissonance yale university. Rationalizing decisions, justifying your behavior, talking yourself out of feeling guiltythese are likely cases of attempting to resolve cognitive dissonance. This paper examines the origins of the theory and the controversies it engendered. Pdf in this research we explored consumers intentions to provide untruthful or negative. Examples and practical applications of cognitive dissonance. An introduction to cognitive dissonance theory and an. Since its introduction to the social psychology literature 60 years ago, festingers cognitive dissonance theory cdt has been frequently. Of the hundreds of pedagogical strategies, curricular tools, and facilitative approaches ive pursued over the years as a social justice educator, none has affected my teaching and. A a persons behavior is not based on strongly held attitudes. May 16, 2019 a theory of cognitive dissonance by leon festinger, 1962, stanford university press edition.
I then examine the evolution of dissonance as it emerged. In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance occurs when a person holds two or more. Jul 23, 2008 the list of companies that have ousted ceos in 2008 just keeps growing. The theory of cognitive dissonance 1 concentrates on creating knowledge about important psychological processes of individuals. This paper discusses the aspects of the cognitive dissonance theory. The compensatory control theory is one such way that individuals cope with cognitive dissonance in response to uncontrollable events whitson and galinsky 2008. Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that our preferences are modulated by the mere act of choosing. Friedrichsen, daniel gietl, anna gumpert, frank heinemann, peiran jiao, shyam sunder. Two selfreport questionnaire measures of cognitive dissonance were discussed in relation to problems of dissonance measurement and theory. The theory of cognitive dissonance is elegantly simple. However, the dwindling interest in dissonance theory did not have a long run. May 11, 2012 theory of cognitive dissonance the theory of cognitive dissonance has been the subject of interest and study of social psychologists in particular.
In a theory of cognitive dissonance 1957, leon festinger proposed that human. A cognitive dissonance approach avidit acharya, stanford university matthew blackwell, harvard university maya sen, harvard university the standard approach in positive political theory posits that action choices are the consequences of preferences. The theory has also received knocks for how difficult it is to actually observe dissonance. Cognitive dissonance cd is a discomfort caused by holding conflicting elements of knowledge. When there is an inconsistency between attitudes or behaviors dissonance, something must change to eliminate the dissonance. This theory proposed that people attempt to maintain consistency. The theory of cognitive dissonance helps explain why people will sometimes go to great lengths to account for thoughts, words, and behaviors that seem to clashwhen one learns new information. Introduced by leon festinger in 1957and since that time debated, refined, and debated again by psychologistscognitive dissonance is defined as the aversive state of arousal that occurs when a person holds two or more cognitions that are inconsistent with each other. The theory of cognitive dissonance proposes that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance by changing their attitudes, beliefs and. Cognitive dissonance leon festinger according to cognitive dissonance theory, there is a tendency for individuals to seek consistency among their cognitions i. Specifically, it focuses on the relationships among cognitions that are elements of knowledge that people have about their behaviors, attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, feelings, or environments.
Cognitive dissonance cd theory is arguably one of the most. Cognitive dissonance has been one of the most enduring and successful theories in the history of social psychology. May 19, 2014 festingers 1957 cognitive dissonance theory suggests that we have an inner drive to hold all our attitudes and beliefs in harmony and avoid disharmony or dissonance. B two people have conflicting attitudes and find themselves in disagreement. Keywords moral hazard cognitive dissonance behavioral finance. A theory of cognitive dissonance stanford university press. Individuals then change their attitudes to conform more closely with their actions,leading to an important source of attitude formation and change. Cognitive dissonance has been adopted and used by the management discipline to explain different issues. A premise that seems to resonate well with audiences exploring true influence marketing is the concept of cognitive dissonance, which social scientists explain as a feeling of discomfort that results from holding two conflicting beliefs. Psychologists define a drive as any internal source of motivation that impels an organism to pursue a goal or to satisfy a need, such as sex, hunger, or selfpreservation. Cognitive dissonance is a theory in social psychology.
Start studying social psychology cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance was first introduced through social psychology, but still plays a fundamental role in public relations. Leon festingers theory of cognitive dissonance has been widely recognized for its important and influential concepts in areas of motivation and social psychology. In terms of psychology, its a mental discomfort associated with psychological stress experienced by a person, where the person holds on to more than one contradictory ideas, attitudes, or beliefs.
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