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We are all guilty of it. We’ll say one thing, but then later think that what we said was wrong or stupid. When this happens, our thoughts have an inconsistency to them and the discomfort we experience is called cognitive dissonance. This blog post will explore the different types of cognitive dissonance and how they can affect your life.
The discomfort we feel when two thoughts are inconsistent is called cognitive dissonance. When this happens, our thoughts have an inconsistency to them and the discomfort we experience is called cognitive dissonance. This blog post will explore the different types of cognitive dissonance and how they can affect your life.
-Intellectual Dissonance: intellectual inconsistencies happen when one opinion contradicts another you hold in mind at a given time such as “I believe all people should be treated equally”, yet I do not treat everyone equally. Intellectual inconsistencies force us to justify why something that makes sense doesn’t always work out in real life or get rid of it altogether which may lead to other thought processes with further complications down the line like never believing anything just for being what it is.
Emotional Dissonance: emotional inconsistencies happen when your rational thoughts do not align with how you feel such as “I believe I should engage in physical activity, yet I choose to stay inside and watch TV”. Emotional inconsistency forces people to find a way of balancing their emotions so they can have clarity on what needs to be done or else it leads them into the realm of irrationality.
Behavioral Dissonance: behavioral inconsistencies happen when our thinking does not match up with practical actions we are taking such as “I promise myself that I will go for a walk every day but never follow through.” Behavioral ineptness creates unease by bringing awareness towards an issue that needs attention either due to its importance or because it has been neglected.
Cognitive Dissonance: cognitive inconsistencies happen when our thinking does not line up with how we feel about an issue such as “I believe I should engage in physical activity, yet I choose to stay inside and watch TV.” Emotional inconsistency forces people to find a way of balancing their emotions so they can have clarity on what needs to be done or else it leads them into the realm of irrationality.
In Cognitive dissonance theory, experiencing this discomfort typically motivates us to try and reduce the amount of conflict between two thoughts that are inconsistent by changing either one thought or both similar beliefs so they align once again with each other (Festinger & Carlsmith 1959). This drive for alignment is called “dissonance reduction.”
Many people also use cognitive dissonance to justify their bad behavior. They tell themselves that a certain action was okay on the grounds that other people do it too, or they find ways of justifying how what they did is not as bad as something else. The obvious problem with these self-justifications is that in order for them to be true, there must exist some objective standard by which one thing can really be judged better than another. This logical inconsistency will cause us discomfort because we know at least one of our thoughts are wrong and so we will feel an internal conflict between two incompatible beliefs (Festinger 1957).
The discomfort we feel when two thoughts are inconsistent is called cognitive dissonance. His drive for alignment is called “dissonance reduction.” Many people also use cognitive dissonance to justify their bad behavior. They tell themselves that a certain action was okay on the grounds that other people do it too, or they find ways of justifying how what they did is not as bad as something else. The obvious problem with these self-justifications is that in order for them to be true, there must exist some objective standard by which one thing can really be judged better than another. This logical inconsistency will cause us discomfort because we know at least one of our thoughts are wrong and so we will feel an internal conflict between two incompatible beliefs (Festinger 1957).
Cognitive dissonance occurs when we hold two thoughts that are in opposition or contradiction to one another. The discomfort we feel is called cognitive dissonance and it arises from the need for consistency between our thoughts, beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviors. Cognitive Dissonance can arise because of a conflict inside ourselves (internal) or with someone else (inter-personal). When an individual feels they have done something wrong but still likes themselves as a person then internal cognitive dissonance has occurred. People also experience external cognitive dissonance when their belief systems come into contact with those who oppose them on some issue such as gun control or abortion rights where people will often find ways to justify what they do even if they know deep down that there is no justification for it.
Internal Cognitive Dissonance: iscomfort we feel called cognitive dissonance and arises from the need to be consistent between our thoughts, beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviors. Cognitive Dissonance can arise because of a conflict inside ourselves (internal) or with someone else (inter-personal). When an individual feels they have done something wrong but still likes themselves as a person then internal cognitive dissonance has occurred. People also experience external cognitive dissonance when their belief systems come into contact with those who oppose them on some issue such as gun control or abortion rights where people will often find ways to justify what they do even if they know deep down that there is no justification for it.
Inter-Personal Cognitive Dissonance
Inter-personal cognitive dissonance is a conflict between two people that occurs when one person believes or does something and the other person disagrees with it. The feeling of being wrong can lead to mental discomfort, which could be interpreted as psychological distress if this state lasts for long periods of time. This form of cognitive dissonance generally leads to changes in attitude or behavior so that there are no longer conflicts between beliefs, thoughts, values, attitudes and behaviors.
Mental Discomfort Caused by Internal Cognitive Dissonance: Mental discomfort from internal cognitve dissonace often arises because an individual has done something they know was wrong but likes themselves anyways; such a state may even increase anxiety levels due to the continuing need for self-just the discomfort is prolonged.
Coping Mechanisms for Cognitive Dissonance
To reduce the mental distress that results from cognitive dissonance, people use a variety of coping mechanisms to reconcile their thoughts and beliefs with what they have done or believe. They can change their thoughts, feelings, or behavior; avoid situations in which these thoughts would be challenged; justify their actions by finding evidence that supports them; try not to think about it at all (repression); or convince themselves there are advantages even if they don’t see any (reaction formation). The most common strategy used to cope with cognitive dissonance is justification-seeking behavoir according study published by Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 2005.[12]
The Discomfort We Feel When Two Thoughts Are Inconsistent: Cognitive Dissonance The discomfort we feel when two thoughts are inconsistent is called cognitive dissonance. In order to reduce the mental distress that results from it, people use a variety of coping mechanisms to reconcile their thoughts and beliefs with what they have done or believe. They can change their thoughts, feelings, or behavior; avoid situations in which these thoughts would be challenged; justify their actions by finding evidence that supports them; try not to think about it at all (repression); or convince themselves there are advantages even if they don’t see any (reaction formation). The most common strategy used to cope with cognitive dissonance is justification-seeking behavoir according study published by Journal
