ipl-logo

Festinger's Cognitive Dissonance Theory Analysis

992 Words4 Pages

This essay will first give a short overview about the theory of cognitive dissonance by Festinger. Subsequent, it will explain the phenomena of free will, induced compliance and effort justification, which all create a state of dissonance according to this theory. In the end, it will give you an overview over other theories suggested on the theme. Leon Festinger first proposed the theory “cognitive dissonance” in 1957, which has later been used to explain several phenomena, for example free will, induced compliance and effort justification (Harmon-Jones, 2012). According to Festinger, individuals strive to obtain a consistency between their cognitions (Festinger, 1957). When they experience that two or more elements of knowledge are inconsistent …show more content…

According to Festinger (1957) we can reduce dissonance by either (1) changing the attitude, behaviour or belief that we have (2) get new information or (3) reduce the importance of that cognition. Let us look at the smoking example again. The best method to reduce the dissonance would be to stop smoking, but as we know, that is simpler said than done. Another way to reduce dissonance is for a person to convince her/himself that the research on smoking is inconclusive. The last method would be to reduce the importance. For example, the person could tell him/herself that it might lead to a shorter life, but at least a more enjoyable …show more content…

The relation between the cognition (this activity is not pleasant) and behaviour (I am going to do this) is inconsistent, which lead to a state of dissonance. If the unpleasant effort is larger, the dissonance is expected to be greater. One way to reduce the dissonance is to exaggerate how much you want the outcome to happen. Aronson & Mills (1959) tested this hypothesis by getting women to go through either a hard or an easy “initiation” to become a group member. In the first group, the women had to go through a rather embarrassing activity to be able to become a member of the group. The group itself was quite boring. It turned out that the women who had to go through a “hard” initiation” favoured the group more than those who had an “easy” initiation”.
Other theories
A number of researchers has proposed different theories about dissonance that differ more or less from the original. This paper will focus mainly on three: self-consistency theory, self-affirmation and.
The self-consistency theory claims that cognitions we have about ourselves works as expectancies for the behaviour (Aronson, 1968; Aronson & Carlsmith, 1962). Dissonance emerge when a person behave in ways that does not fit with his/her self-concept

Show More
Related

  • Cognitive Dissonance In Ethan Frome

    351 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ethan’s agreement that death is better than parting is an example of cognitive dissonance that directly affects the plot of the novel. Cognitive dissonance is best described as an inconsistency in the beliefs that one holds, which is prominent in the thoughts as opposed the actions taken by Ethan. He is essentially given an ultimatum when Zeena threatens to fire Mattie; Ethan must make the decision to act upon his desires without the benefit of time as he had once thought he had. Before this is thrust upon him, he has the general cognition that he should not pursue Mattie. This is evident in his lack of action during their dinner without Zeena.

    Read More

  • What Is Cognitive Dissonance Theory In Easy A

    1145 Words  | 5 Pages

    This eventually leads her to challenge her self concepts to extreme levels, causing her to either liberate herself from the façade she created or sink into the role. Easy A describes many genuine psychological phenomena and I am going to focus on three of them; Cognitive dissonance theory, how societal and cultural norms dictate our attitudes and thoughts, and different ways of persuasion. The cognitive dissonance theory is the feeling of unease that is felt when we act in opposition to our attitudes, which causes a shift of attitude in order to be consistent with our behavior. Easy A depicts strongly the theory of cognitive dissonance on numerous occasions.

    Read More

  • How Facts Backfire

    1091 Words  | 5 Pages

    The author states that the one of the many flaws in a democracy is the fact that people have the right to vote without having knowledge on the subject. He understands that people make decisions based off their morals, not on the knowledge they have on a subject. Keohane adds that as a self-defense mechanism people, when they are faced with a mental conflict that occurs where their beliefs or assumptions are contradicted by new information; this is called cognitive dissonance. He goes on to explain the theory of motivated reasoning, which is where people have two facts presented to them where one fact contradicts their principals, and they end up choosing the fact that is closest to their ideals. According to Keohane people with higher self-esteem are more likely to acknowledge new information than people with insecurities.

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby Wooden Headedness Analysis

    1171 Words  | 5 Pages

    In everyday actions and decisions, human nature dictates that ignorance is very common. Barbara Tuchman’s theory of “wooden-headedness”, can be applied to real life on many different levels. Wooden headedness consists of assessing a situation in terms of preconceived fixed notions while ignoring or rejecting any contrary signs. This is when a person acts according to a wish while not allowing oneself to be deflected by the facts. Ignorance plays a substantial role in human affairs, although some may think it is just how kids are raised by their parents.

    Read More

  • The Outsiders Rhetorical Analysis

    334 Words  | 2 Pages

    In chapter ten of The Outsiders, Ponyboy is as expected takes the death of Johnny and Dally extremely poorly. He cannot understand how he lost his friends so quickly and he does not know how to process all of it. Since Ponyboy is unable to accept their death he tells himself that they are not dead in order to cope with what has happened (Hinton, 2006, p. 150). Overall, too much has happened so quickly that he emotionally and mentally cannot think about the death of his friends, therefore, he perceives them as still being alive. Cognitive Dissonance Theory was formed by Leon Festinger and he concludes that “the experience of dissonance-incompatible beliefs and actions or two incompatible beliefs-is unpleasant, and people are highly motivated

    Read More

  • Interpersonal Communication Chapter Summary

    828 Words  | 4 Pages

    Chapter two in the textbook Reflect & Relate an Introduction to Interpersonal Communication by Steven McCornack talks all about what “self” is and how to achieve complete fulfillment for one’s self which is also known as self-actualization. The components of self, as described in the book are, “ . . . self-awareness, self-concept, and self-esteem” (McCornack 39). Self-awareness is the idea in which one can take a moment to move feelings, beliefs, and other external influences aside and just evaluate oneself in a holistic perspective that is not skewed by opinions of others, etc. Having the ability to actually think about who one is brings a lot of power and mental stability in such a way that allows for improvement.

    Read More

  • What Is The Theme Of In The Silence By Peggy S. Curry

    591 Words  | 3 Pages

    Person vs. Self conflict can be triggered by others; one's comment can affect a character's thought process and cause self-deprecating

    Read More

  • Dasani Control Theory

    786 Words  | 4 Pages

    Although one’s behavior can be the same as others, especially if they are in the same setting, however those who are in two completely different contexts will experience different reactions, just dependent on exactly where they are. Furthermore, this theory demonstrates that once we have been in a specific setting long enough, then that’s when our behaviors will become consistent over time. On the other hand, individuals might experience particular actions because they arrive at a specific setting, with an already preconceived idea of what to expect causing them to alter their behaviors based on their thoughts about the background. Another reason might be that we adjust our responses because we are unsure of how others might view or accept us being in their environments. Either way, individuals might not be aware of it, but once our surroundings change, then our behaviors is changed as

    Read More

  • Classical Conditioning And Observational Learning Analysis

    2548 Words  | 11 Pages

    Introduction Learning enables you as an individual, to gain more knowledge about something which you have never learned about. Learning also has to do with past experiences which are influenced by behavioural changes (Weiten, 2016). There are different types of ways to learn; through, classical conditioning, operant conditioning and observational learning which will be discussed and analysed in the essay.   Behaviourism Behaviourism is considered one of the main subjects in psychology and the two main people who founded behaviourism were, Burrhus Frederic Skinner, also known as B.F Skinner and Ivan Pavlov who were famous for the work they did on classical and operant conditioning (Moderato & Presti, 2006). According to Moderato and Presti

    Read More

  • Examples Of Cognitive Dissonance Theory In American History X

    478 Words  | 2 Pages

    Derek also provides an example of Hypothesis 2: Post decision dissonance creates a need for reassurance. Festinger defines post decision dissonance as “ strong doubts experienced after making an important decision” (Griffin, et al). Derek experiences strong post decision dissonance after leaving the Aryan Brotherhood. When he leaves one of the members tells him that he will be punished. This causes dissonance within Derek, he wonders if he made the right decision, and he feels regret almost.

    Read More

  • Social Psychology In The Movie Crash

    761 Words  | 4 Pages

    There is a study in which analyzes the behavior and communication of a person when they come into contact or are acknowledge about some other person or group of people. Hence, this study is known as social psychology. Many aspects fall into this topic and those aspects are presented in the film Crash. Crash a film released in 2004, depicts many aspects that fall into the social psychology realm.

    Read More

  • Synthesis Essay On Identity

    500 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Mcleod’s article, it said that people “‘think about, evaluate, or perceive’ themselves” (Mcleod 1). Mcleod talks, in the article, about how people thinking, evaluating, and perceiving about themselves is call self-concept. Whenever people think about themselves, most of the time, people are confused about whether or not they are pursuing right actions for their future, especially people with low self-esteem . Furthermore, people get more confused if their actions dramatically differ from others. However, again, people’s actions determine who they are, so even if their actions are dramatically different from others, it may be a path for that person’s success.

    Read More

  • Cognitive Dissonance Theory In Social Psychology

    1716 Words  | 7 Pages

    Therefore, finding an explanation through psychology, for the different specific reactions that human beings exhibit is important. Social psychology is an important sector of psychology that takes interpersonal relationships into consideration. Over the years, many theories have been developed to aid in explaining human behavior, especially ones that administer social experiences. The main focus of this assignment is the analysis of the cognitive dissonance theory in social psychology. Cognitive dissonance theory attempts to explain the human behavior through cognition, in which individuals always look for stability in their attitudes and behaviors (Festinger, 1985).

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Music In Child Development

    1514 Words  | 7 Pages

    ‘’Disequilibrium refers to the inability to fit new information into our schemas. When you come across information or experiences that do not fit into your current knowledge

    Read More

  • Self Development In Social Care

    1786 Words  | 8 Pages

    The self can be defined as ‘an organised, consistent set of perceptions of and beliefs about oneself’ (Passer, Smith, Holt, Bremner, Sutherland & Vliek, 2009, p676). We should aim to understand ourselves, learn know how we function

    Read More

More about Festinger's Cognitive Dissonance Theory Analysis

Open Document