4/18/2025
What is Cognitive Dissonance?
It is the mental discomfort that results from holding two conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes. As individuals, we tend to seek out consistency in our attitudes, perceptions, and values, yet we do something that conflicts with the values we hold, we may feel uneasy and uncomfortable.
Here are some examples:
You make a pact with yourself to put money in a savings account, but then with the surprise bonus, you splurge on the great dress you saw online. You later regret that choice when an unexpected expense occurs when your car needs repairs.
You say honesty is important personal value, but then tell a white lie to a friend to get out of a sticky and awkward social situation to not hurt their feelings.
Discomfort and unease can happen to all of us to some degree or another, but it is not always easy to detect or recognize. It can occur in pretty much any area of life.
According to Psychology Ryan Anderson, cognitive dissonance is very common where someone’s beliefs that are important to how they define themselves conflict with how they behave.
Where did this concept originate? In 1957, Psychologist Leon Festinger published a book, A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. The theory of cognitive dissonance proposed that two ideas can be consonant or dissonant. Consonant ideas logically flow from one another. Dissonant ideas oppose one another. The dissonance between two contradictory ideas, or between an idea and a behavior, creates discomfort. Festinger argued that cognitive dissonance is more intense when a person holds many dissonant views and those views are important to them.
According to Cherry, cognitive dissonance can be caused by feeling forced to do something, learning new information, or when faced with a decision between two similar choices. It proposes a challenge. It causes discomfort in us that we may not readily want to accept.
How does discomfort manifest itself? A person may feel anxious, embarrassed, regretful, sad, shameful, or stressed.
What influences cognitive dissonance? The degree of dissonance depends on a few factors, notes Kendra Cherry, MSED. The importance attached to each belief and the number of dissonant beliefs. For example, the more clashing thoughts you have, the greater the strength of the dissonance.
One of my goals is to eat more fruits and vegetables daily, as it will improve my health with its nutrients in the long term. I am motivated initially. In fact, I do well for the first few days, yet, after having a bad day, I crave the sweets and give in to that cookie, donut, or whoopie pie. For me, some foods give me emotional comfort when I feel low. I rationalize, one cookie or donut is not going to hurt me in the long term. In reality, I could have worst habits. I am unhappy with myself, or I could be anxious or stressed. I am bothered that I broke a promise to myself and my inconsistency to change bad habits.
Psychology Today points out that when one learns new information that challenges a deeply held belief or acts in a way that undercuts a favorable self-image, that person may feel motivated to resolve a negative feeling and return to cognitive consonance. Yet, the response or choice a person selects may not always resolve it. They may ignore the source or behave to eliminate any conflict that they are feeling internally.
“The inconsistency between what people believe and how they behave motivates them to engage in actions that will help minimize feelings of discomfort. People attempt to relieve this tension in different ways, such as by rejecting, explaining away, or avoiding new information,” wrote Cherry.
According to Cherry, people like to believe that they are logical, consistent, and good at making decisions. Cognitive dissonance can interfere with the perceptions they hold about themselves and their abilities, which is why it can often feel so uncomfortable and unpleasant.
Dissonance plays a role in how we act, think and make decisions. Festinger believed that all people are motivated to avoid or resolve cognitive dissonance, due to the discomfort. The defense mechanisms fall into three areas: avoiding, delegitimizing, and limiting impact.
Firstly, people may avoid or ignore what they are feeling. They may avoid people or situations that remind them of it. They may discourage others without talking about it, or distract themselves until the feeling goes away. Cherry notes that sometime this may involve blaming other people or outside factors.
Secondly, people may undermine the evidence. They may try to discredit the person, group, or situation. For example, they may say the source is biased, not trustworthy.
According to Cherry, people may feel ashamed of their conflicting beliefs and behaviors. They may try to hide the disparity from others to minimize the feelings of shame and guilt.
Thirdly, people may belittle the importance of the information. They may say the behavior is rare or unusual. They may rationalize to convince themselves or others that the behavior is okay.
Cherry pointed out that people may seek out information that confirms existing beliefs. This is known as confirmation bias. It affects our abilities to think critically about a situation but helps minimize feelings of dissonance.
Anderson summed it up that cognitive dissonance is everywhere, it can be used to explain a lot of different behaviors and attitudes.
We can resolve the dissonance by changing our actions, changing our thoughts, or changing perceptions of actions. We can be mindful of our values and any decisions or actions that could conflict with our values.
Resources:
Image retrieved 4/18/2025 from Image by vectorjuice on Freepik
Anderson, Ph.D., Ryan. “How Cognitive Dissonance Relates to Relationships: The phenomenon of cognitive dissonance can account for just about anything.” 12/14/2016.Psychology Today. Retrieved on 4/10/2025 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-mating-game/201612/how-cognitive-dissonance-relates-relationships
California Learning Resource Network (CLRN) “What is a blind spot in psychology?” 11/18/2024. Retrieved on 3/12/2025 from What is a blind spot in psychology? –
Cherry, MSED, Kendra. “Cognitive Dissonance and the Discomfort of Holding Conflicting Beliefs. How We Resolve Our Internal Conflicts.” Verywellmind.com 1/27/2025. Retrieved on 4/10/2025 from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-cognitive-dissonance-2795012
Medical News Today. “What is Cognitive Dissonance.” Retrieved on 4/10/2025 from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326738
Psychology Today staff. “Cognitive Dissonance.” Retrieved on 4/10/2025 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/cognitive-dissonance
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