An introduction to the theory of cognitive dissonance. 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 simple english wikipedia, the free. Apr 10, 20 cognitive dissonance challenges a possibility of human evolution cognitive dissonance cd is a discomfort caused by holding conflicting elements of knowledge.
Festingers theory of cognitive dissonance has been one of the most influential theories in social psychology jones, 1985. Adaptability psychology, cognitive dissonance, cognitieve dissonantie, dissonance cognitive. Cognitive dissonance theory has been known to play out in several ways. Cognitive dissonance and theory of planned behaviour. In a theory of cognitive dissonance 1957, leon festinger proposed that human beings strive for internal. 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. Cognitive dissonance theory definition of cognitive. Festinger presented dissonance theory during the heyday of cognitive consistency theories,and he discussed dissonance as a cognitive consistency theory.
The principle of cognitive dissonance was made popular in the late 1950s by leon festingers book, theory of cognitive dissonance. In the case of emotional abuse, people will make choices that go against reality to soothe the. 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. Cognitive dissonance theory was developed by a researcher named leon festinger in the 1950s. The theory of cognitive dissonance 1 concentrates on creating knowledge about important psychological processes of individuals. Cognitive dissonance a cognitive theory of motivation. During 1950s, festingers theory of cognitive dissonance was most influential in its conceptualization of attitude davey, 2005. A theory of cognitive dissonance by leon festinger, is the result of the human mind solving conflict. People are then motivated to reduce the dissonance, often in the easiest manner possible. In general, social psychologists, always looking for the next great theory, seemed to have shelved this book and its concepts within a couple of decades after it came out in 1957 see leon festingers comments 30 years later in appendix b of cognitive dissonance progress on a pivotal theory in social. A theory of cognitive dissonance by leon festinger. Cognitive dissonance theory definition psychology glossary. With a growing interest in purely cognitive processes such as information processes, the popularity of dissonance theory declined.
It is a very different motivation from what psychologist are used to dealing with but, as we shall see, nonetheless powerful. Most of them can generally be arranged into four groups. The theory of cognitive dissonance download ebook pdf. It is also a prime example of how creative thinking and problem solving skills can come together to produce w. Therefore it need a free signup process to obtain the book. Cognitive dissonance 2 is a perceptilea vector of powerinconsistent unbalanced with the patterns of concepts and percepts already present in the dynamic psychological field and the percipients perspective. Feb 01, 2018 this video describes cognitive dissonance theory. Cognitive dissonance progress on a pivotal theory in social psychology science read online.
If you like ice cream then this is another cognition. Major cognitive dissonance phenomena let us now turn to a brief discussion of major cognitive dissonance phenomena. Reacting to this unpleasant state, people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance. The theory of cognitive dissonance in social psychology proposes that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance by altering existing cognitions, adding new ones to create a consistent belief system, or alternatively by reducing the importance of any one of the dissonant elements. Hence if i think of my self as being an altruistic being this being my selfcognition i will. Psychology the psychological tension that occurs when one holds mutually exclusive beliefs or attitudes and that often motivates people to modify their. Cognitive dissonance is considered as emerging between the social identity of persons. 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.
The theory is somewhat counterintuitive and, in fact, fits into a category of counterintuitive social psychology theories sometimes referred to as action opinion. Cognitive dissonance theory synonyms, cognitive dissonance theory pronunciation, cognitive dissonance theory translation, english dictionary definition of cognitive dissonance theory. If it available for your country it will shown as book reader and user fully subscribe. The theory has, for example, also figured in the design of interventions to address a variety of societal problems. The theory of cognitive dissonance has had profound impact on research in social psychology, its influence goes beyond that field, however. Before i can give examples of the cognitive dissonance theory i first have to explain what cognitive dissonance means. Progress on a pivotal theory in social psychology science conference. This robust theory suggests that a motivational state of inner tension is triggered by logically inconsistent ways of thinking. Leon festinger 8 may 1919 11 february 1989 was an american social psychologist, perhaps best known for cognitive dissonance and social comparison theory. Leon festingers 1957 a theory of cognitive dissonance is a key text in the history of psychology one that made its author one of the most influential social psychologists of his time.
Proposed by festinger, the cognitive dissonance theory asserts that people often have two conflicting or inconsistent cognitions which produce a state of tension or discomfort also known as dissonance. Many of these cognitions are irrelevant to each other and are not problematic for the. In his own words, he quickly sums up this quite complex theory. According to cognitive dissonance theory, there is a tendency for individuals to seek consistency among their cognitions i. Cognitive dissonance theory leon festinger shared his brilliance with the world when he, opposing all previous psychological behaviorist work, created the cognitive dissonance theory.
But even before festinger was the greek fabulist aesop. Dissonance theory does not rest upon the assumption that man is a rational animal. May 15, 2012 cognitive dissonance theory cdt argues that the experience of dissonance or incompatible beliefs and actions is aversive and people are highly motivated to avoid it. A person who experiences internal inconsistency tends to become psychologically uncomfortable and is motivated to reduce the cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance reduction can be seen as an antecedent condition which leads to activity oriented towards dissonance reduction just as hunger leads to activity oriented towards hunger reduction. Both cognitive dissonance theory and the theory of planned behaviour are motivational theories. Click download or read online button to get a theory of cognitive dissonance book now. If you study psychology there is a very good chance that you will be introduced to the theory of cognitive dissonance. In this state, people may feel surprise, dread, guilt, anger, or embarrassment. Click download or read online button to get the theory of cognitive dissonance book now. 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. However, the dwindling interest in dissonance theory did not have a long run. The theory of cognitive dissonance essay example 877 words.
The advances in the history of cognitive dissonance theory. This paper endeavours to deconstruct attitude and in turn compare and contrast its place as a construct in festingers 1957 cognitive dissonance theory with ajzens 1991 theory of. His theories and research are credited with renouncing the previously dominant behaviorist view of social psychology by demonstrating the inadequacy of stimulusresponse conditioning accounts of human behavior. 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. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Cognitive dissonance and the theory of planned behaviour. Much research has been carried out in understanding the construction, stability, utility and malleability of attitudes. In a theory of cognitive dissonance 1957, leon festinger proposed that human beings strive for internal psychological consistency to function mentally in the real world.
If you like to smoke then this can be considered a cognition. Leon festingers theory of cognitive dissonance has been widely recognized for its important and influential concepts in areas of motivation and social. It is known by every social psychologist, most psychologists of any stripe, and the lay public, making its way into such mainstream publications as the new york times with increasing frequency and accuracy. Cognitive theories of motivation rely on your thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes to explain your motivation. A marketing and management perspective article pdf available in procedia social and behavioral sciences 24. Individuals then change their attitudes to conform more closely with their actions,leading to an important source of attitude formation and change. Cognitive dissonance is a concept in social psychology. A theory of cognitive dissonance download ebook pdf. Welcome,you are looking at books for reading, the a theory of cognitive dissonance, you will able to read or download in pdf or epub books and notice some of author may have lock the live reading for some of country.
Dissonance spring is an international small group meeting for researchers interested in cognitive conflict models with a focus on cognitive dissonance theory, to be held in may 2020. The most famous and widely cited of these theories is cognitive dissonance cdt. A theory of cognitive dissonance by festinger, leon, 19191989. This produces a feeling of discomfort leading to an alteration in one of the attitudes, beliefs or behaviors to reduce the discomfort and restore balance etc. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The impact of cognitive dissonance theory continued from the late 1950s to the mid1970s. Festingers 1957 cognitive dissonance theory suggests that we have an inner drive to hold all our. Cognitive dissonance theory in social psychology iresearchnet. In their efforts to avoid feelings of dissonance, people will avoid hearing views that oppose their own, change their beliefs to match their actions, and seek reassurance after.
Theory of cognitive dissonance definition of theory of. People are then motivated to reduce the dissonance, often in. Cognitive dissonance is an aversive drive that causes people to 1 avoid opposing viewpoints, 2 seek reassurance after making a tough decision, and 3 change private beliefs to match public behavior when there is minimal justification for an action. An analysis of leon festingers a theory of cognitive dissonance. 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. If you change a persons behavior, his thoughts and feelings will change to minimize the. Desire for internal consistency is a basic human drive just like hunger or thirst. Cognitive dissonance theory wicklund and brehm 1976 commented on the 20year history of dissonance theory by observing, to the extent that dissonance theory has evolved since 1957, the evolution has been primarily due to the discovery that responsibility is a prerequisite for effects that we call dissonance reduction p. Cognitivedissonancetheory after50yearsofdevelopment. Leon festingers theory of cognitive dissonance has been widely recognized for its important and influential concepts in areas of motivation and social psychology. Cognitive dissonance theory cdt argues that the experience of dissonance or incompatible beliefs and actions is aversive and people are highly motivated to avoid it.
According to cognitive dissonance theory,an individual experiences a mental discomfort after taking an action that seems to be in con. Cd is among the most influential and extensively studied theories in social psychology e. Cognitive dissonance is the negative feeling that results from conflicting beliefs and behaviors. Cognitive dissonance challenges a possibility of human evolution cognitive dissonance cd is a discomfort caused by holding conflicting elements of knowledge. Leon festinger, one such noted social psychologist, explained that people, in the course of their daily lives, hold a myriad of cognitions simultaneously. It is the discomfort felt by a person who holds conflicting ideas, beliefs or values at the same time. Jun, 2017 a theory of cognitive dissonance by leon festinger, is the result of the human mind solving conflict. Free epub a theory of cognitive dissonance read online free. Festingers cognitive dissonance theory and research examples. It is also a prime example of how creative thinking and problem solving skills can come together to produce work that changes the way people look at. Cognitive dissonance has been an important and influential theory since leon festinger published his classic work in 1957. Defination cognitive dissonance refers to a situation involving conflicting attitudes, beliefs or behaviors. This work is a clearly stated theory on how humans think, decide, and defend their decisions. A theory of cognitive dissonance download pdfepub ebook.