What is cognitive dissonance
Our psyche works in such a way as to protect us from stress, shock, and all its mechanisms are designed to create internal harmony by any means. Cognitive dissonance is the very imbalance that violates internal harmony. The concept of cognitive dissonance in simple words is a feeling of disharmony that occurs if contradictory beliefs, reactions, and mutually exclusive information are combined in the mind.
As a suitable example, we can cite a life situation: you see a couple of people with a stereotypical appearance on the street - one of them is marginal in appearance, and the second is a typical office worker in a good suit. Naturally, images of these people have already formed in the mind, and fantasy added their characteristic manner of behavior. You already have two images in your head, and they fit perfectly into the picture of the world.
It would seem, what does cognitive dissonance have to do with it? Now imagine the continuation of the situation - a pleasant, intelligent man begins to be rude to a girl who touched him with her handbag and does this without mincing words. At the same time, the marginalized person politely asks which bus is arriving at the stop. What happens to your emotions at the first moment? The natural reaction is surprise, confusion and attempts to comprehend what is happening. This is exactly what cognitive dissonance looks like in psychology using the simplest example.
We often face internal contradiction, especially when our actions run counter to generally accepted norms of behavior: youthful maximalism, religious views, cultural characteristics, or, conversely, society dictates strict rules of behavior that cause discomfort (discipline, dress code, rules of behavior in society ). This question often affects smokers, alcoholics, drug addicts during periods of enlightenment, and even ordinary people are faced with it at the most unexpected moments.
The occurrence of such a phenomenon can be avoided. The main tool to help protect yourself from an undesirable mental reaction is to ignore the problem and any information related to it. If a state of dissonance has already arisen, then it can be neutralized by changing your belief system. It turns out that you can find an excuse and turn a blind eye to unpleasant information. However, such a policy generates internal tension, leading to neurotic states.
Learn to admit your own mistakes
The state of cognitive dissonance in most cases arises due to a person’s reluctance to admit his own mistakes. Many consider their rightness to be undeniable, they are sure that everything should be only the way they imagine it. Such a life position does little to promote happiness and spiritual harmony.
The task of the individual is comprehensive development, which is impossible without broadening one’s horizons. The world around us is full of various phenomena, events and facts that may contradict our beliefs. The only right decision will be to accept it this way, to learn to look from different angles, without focusing only on your knowledge.
Who developed the theory of cognitive dissonance
It is known that the theory of cognitive dissonance was developed by L. Festinger, a psychologist from America. This happened in the middle of the last century (1957). With its help, he tried to explain the internal conflicts that arise in people as a result of events or any actions of others.
He developed two theories:
▪️When confusion, tension and discomfort associated with internal contradiction arise, a person makes every effort to overcome it.
▪️Subsequently, the person does his best to avoid stressful situations associated with increased contradiction. The concept of “cognitive dissonance,” introduced into social psychology by L. Festinger, means a collision in the human mind of mutually exclusive, contradictory ideas, values, ideas about the world around us, beliefs and emotions.
▪️A jungle savage who sees people getting off the plane will come up with a fairy tale about a huge bird that was saddled by hunters or about celestial beings who descended from the clouds in order to avoid internal contradiction and relieve emotional stress from an unexpected event. This is a typical example of how an individual “adjusts” a new and striking imagination to his old ideas about the world. Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance aims to explain this phenomenon and develop ways to overcome it.
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People by nature tend to live in harmony with themselves, their worldview, beliefs, principles, philosophy. This is what allows us to feel whole and satisfied. But often in our everyday life we can encounter such a phenomenon when some contradictory ideas, reactions, values, ideas collide with each other in our minds. This is where we talk about the state of cognitive dissonance. And, despite the periodic appearance of this phenomenon in the lives of each of us, few people wonder what it really is. Nevertheless, every person needs to have basic psychological knowledge, because this will help him to better know, first of all, himself. So, what is cognitive dissonance and how does it manifest itself in our lives? The concept of “cognitive dissonance” comes from two Latin words – “cognitio”, meaning “cognition” and “dissonanita”, meaning “lack of harmony”, and is a special condition during which a person feels mental discomfort caused by a clash of contradictory things in his mind. each other's beliefs, ideas, reactions regarding some phenomenon or object. As an example, we can give the following situation: you are standing on the street and see two people - a respectable man and a tramp. You have your own idea about each of them: a respectable man seems to be an intelligent, well-mannered, gentleman, and a tramp is rather his complete opposite. But then a nice man’s phone rings, he answers the call and starts talking loudly, using a lot of obscene language, spitting on the sidewalk and completely not paying attention to those around him. At the same time, the tramp comes up to you and, in a tone worthy of a real intelligent person, asks you what time it is and how he can get to such and such an address. At a minimum, you will be surprised and discouraged by this state of affairs - opposing ideas and beliefs have just collided in your mind. This is cognitive dissonance. The theory of cognitive dissonance was first proposed by the American psychologist Leon Festinger in 1957. With the help of it, he tried to explain conflict situations in the cognitive sphere of the individual caused by events, phenomena or actions of other people. This theory is driven by two hypotheses: In a state of cognitive dissonance, a person will invariably strive to eliminate the inconsistencies that caused it. This is influenced mainly by the state of psychological discomfort accompanying dissonance. To neutralize this discomfort, a person will strive to avoid situations that may aggravate it. The reasons for the occurrence of cognitive dissonance can be different: - any situation from the present does not correspond to experience from the past; - the opinion of one person runs counter to the opinions of others; — traditions and customs of other peoples unfamiliar to people; - a logical inconsistency of any facts. The impact of cognitive dissonance is often underestimated, when in fact it is very serious. As already mentioned, this condition itself arises when a person’s knowledge does not correspond. Therefore, for example, in order to make a decision, a person sometimes must leave aside his knowledge and do something differently, which, in turn, creates a discrepancy between what he thinks and what he does. The result of this is a change in attitudes, which is simply necessary and inevitable for a person’s knowledge to be consistent. This is what serves as a catalyst for the fact that many people often justify some of their actions, thoughts, mistakes and actions, changing their beliefs to please them, because this neutralizes intrapersonal conflict. Cognitive dissonance, depending on the situation, tends to become stronger or weaker. For example, in a situation where a person helps a person who does not particularly need it, the degree of dissonance is minimal, but if a person understands that he must urgently start important work, but is doing something unrelated, the degree will be higher. The intensity of the state of dissonance directly depends on the importance of the choice facing the person. However, any fact of dissonance motivates a person to eliminate it. There are several ways to do this: - change the tactics of your actions; - change your beliefs; - critically evaluate new information. An example situation: a person strives to acquire an athletic physique. It’s beautiful, pleasant, makes you feel good, and your health will be stronger. To achieve the goal, he must start working out, visit the gym, go to training regularly, eat right, follow a routine, etc. If a person has not done this before, he must, by all means, start, or find many reasons why he does not need it, and he will not do it: no time or money, poor (supposedly) health, and So the physique is, in principle, normal. Thus, any actions of a person will be aimed at reducing dissonance - getting rid of contradictions within himself. But the appearance of cognitive dissonance can be avoided. Most often, this is helped by simply ignoring any information regarding the problem, which may differ from the existing one. And in the case of a state of dissonance that has already arisen, you can neutralize the further development of this process by adding new ones to your system of beliefs, replacing the old ones with them. It turns out that you need to find information that “justifies” existing thoughts or behavior, and try to avoid information that is contrary. But often this strategy leads to fear of dissonance, prejudice, personality disorders and even neuroses. In order not to perceive cognitive dissonance painfully, you just need to accept the fact that this phenomenon occurs at all. It is important to understand that the discrepancy between some elements of a person’s belief system and the actual state of affairs will always be reflected in life. In fact, it is much easier to accept the facts as they are and try to adapt to the circumstances, without wasting your energy on thoughts that maybe something was done wrong, some decision was made incorrectly, some the choice was not made entirely correctly. If something has already happened, then so be it. In one of the books of the famous writer Carlos Castaneda, in which he describes the process of his training with an Indian shaman, his teacher tells him about one very effective way to live - to be a Warrior. Here it is not worth going into details of the philosophy of this path, but you just need to say that one of its main features is that a person can doubt and think until the moment he makes a decision. But having made his choice, he must cast aside all his doubts and thoughts, do what is necessary, and calmly accept the result, whatever it may be. As for the worldview as a whole, a state of cognitive dissonance most often arises only because we are firmly convinced that something should be this way and no other way. Many people believe that their opinion is the only correct one, that only the way they think is correct, everything should be the way they want. This position is the least effective for a harmonious and happy life. The best option would be to accept that everything can be completely different from our thoughts, views and beliefs. The world is full of not just different people and facts, but also all sorts of mysteries and unusual phenomena. And our task is to learn to look at it from different angles, taking into account any possibilities, and not to be “narrow-minded”, stubborn people and fixated on themselves and their knowledge. Cognitive dissonance is a condition that is inherent, to varying degrees, in every person. It is important to know about it and be able to identify and neutralize it. But it is equally important to take it for granted.
Cognitive dissonance: examples from life and literature
An internal conflict of interest can arise for various reasons:
✔️ When we “bend” under the pressure of circumstances to the detriment of our own interests. For example, we wear uncomfortable clothes and shoes and follow strict rules because this is what the dress code requires.
✔️ Dissonance occurs when reality does not fit into expectations based on knowledge and experience gained. For example, the sight of a reserved and friendly person suddenly losing his temper can cause short-term cognitive dissonance.
✔️ Contradiction arises when making difficult choices or when forming your worldview. For example, when choosing between similar items from different brands, we are forced to enter into an internal conflict, weighing the pros and cons.
Examples of cognitive dissonance are more common than we think. Family quarrels, educational moments, friends who open up from unexpected sides - all this contributes to the emergence of contradictions and the desire to change the situation as quickly as possible.
Cognitive dissonance examples from literature:
✔️ One of the most famous and early literary reflections of this phenomenon is the fairy tale about the Frog Princess. Everything here is permeated with the internal conflict of the main character. Starting with the fact that he shoots an arrow in the hope of finding a girl, but instead gets an amphibian. Further, the newly-made wife continues to surprise her young husband with her actions, constantly putting him in a state of emotional stupor. The only way out that the hero sees is to get used to it, come to terms with the situation and reduce stress to a minimum. This is exactly what he does throughout the tale.
✔️ Another example from folklore is the phrase: “Go there, I don’t know where, bring something, I don’t know what.” And again, the main character tries with all his might to find a way out of the stalemate, using all the previously acquired knowledge and new information.
✔️ Nastenka from the fairy tale “Morozko” is complete cognitive dissonance. The girl is clearly freezing and ready to say goodbye to life, but not wanting to enter into an internal conflict, she does what she was taught. She answers softly and politely, despite all the bullying of the elderly tyrant.
The effect of surprise that he feels awakens feelings of guilt and a desire to correct the situation. Having warmed the girl and showered her with jewelry, Morozko calms his conscience and gets rid of the feeling of guilt, which creates dissonance from what is happening.
Marfushka does not create this cognitive dissonance - everything happens logically and understandably for both parties. Morozko increases his self-esteem by “punishing the shrew,” and Marfushka, in principle, reduces stress to a minimum by acting aggressively and straightforwardly.
✔️ The heroine of the novel “Gone with the Wind,” Scarlett, finds her own way of dealing with those circumstances that destroy the usual picture of the world. She says to herself: “I won’t think about it now, I’ll think about it tomorrow.” This is a vivid example of how a person seeks to get away from a problem, ease emotional stress and direct his energy to survival, postponing solving the problem until a later date.
✔️ And finally, the well-known Raskolnikov also demonstrates the consequences of internal discord. His beliefs conflict with the moral values instilled in him from childhood. After committing a crime, the hero seeks repentance and is ready to be punished in order to reduce the stress into which he plunged himself.
✔️ Sonechka Marmeladova can also serve as an example of this phenomenon. A girl of easy virtue who tries to maintain inner purity and decency. She prefers to go to hard labor, believing that this difficult path will save her from internal contradiction. The cognitive process in this case is not shown so clearly, but the dissonance can still be traced. Similar situations are found in many books and films, because internal struggle is the most interesting thing that writers and directors can reflect in their works.
What Causes Cognitive Dissonance?
Let's look at cognitive dissonance and the reasons for this phenomenon. There may be several prerequisites for the occurrence of such a condition:
► The situation occurring at a given time does not coincide with the experience gained earlier;
► The opinion of a particular individual contradicts the ideas and principles of his environment;
► A person finds himself in an unfamiliar cultural environment;
► Logical contradiction in any events or facts.
Cognitive personality dissonance is often underestimated, although it is a serious mental condition. As already noted, it appears due to a lack of information. For example, in order to make a decision, you need to ignore everything that was known and act in a way that is atypical for yourself. This creates a conflict between thoughts and actions. As a result, the pattern breaks, and this is necessary to resolve the conflict.
The state of cognitive dissonance often causes many to make excuses, changing their beliefs and principles in order to exhaust the internal conflict. Dissonance tends to wax and wane. The degree of stress depends on the choices the individual makes. However, the very fact of contradiction prompts the psyche to neutralize it.
[edit] Cognitive dissonance in the works of classics
Progressive cognitive dissonance among security officers
| — What is cognitive dissonance? - Oh, well, this is when different calculator references collide... |
| dialogue in the St. Petersburg communal kitchen |
| “No,” said the young man with a canvas laptop bag on his shoulder, “now close everything, go out and log in through the administrator.” Yeah, I thought, and the young man continued: “The glass door near the stairs, on the right.” Had cognitive dissonance. |
| quod_sciam |
| - Ladies and Gentlemen! Behind these walls it will never touch you the cognitive dissonance . Therefore, you have absolutely no need to know what it is. |
| Pelevin, "Generation P". |
| Cognitive dissonance is new information that conflicts with old knowledge that a person has. The euphemism for fucking is shorter. The term was introduced into Russian use mainly by the writer Pelevin. |
| Leonid Kaganov |
| And if facts begin to undermine faith, that’s a disaster. We have to change our worldview. Or become a fanatic. |
| Boris Strugatsky |
| There is a four-story house, each floor has eight windows, there are two dormer windows and two chimneys on the roof, and there are two tenants in each floor. Now tell me, gentlemen, in what year did the doorman’s grandmother die? |
| Schweik |
How to overcome cognitive dissonance
If you are overtaken by cognitive dissonance, how to get rid of an obsessive and unpleasant state:
- Change behavior tactics;
- Reconsider your worldview and principles;
- Critically perceive incoming information;
- Ignore any information related to the problem.
To reduce the pain of dissonance, you need to accept that this condition is inevitable. It is important to understand that in life there is always room for contradiction and the world is not ideal and people are not at all what they seem to us. Therefore, it is easier to accept the facts as they are than to fruitlessly waste energy on changing them.
The condition itself appears because every person has a set of beliefs, rules, principles and stereotypes on which he relies in his life. Many are so ossified in their opinions that they are convinced that other points of view simply do not exist. An example of this is religious fanatics. The whole world must obey their rules, and people must follow their desires.
Each of us has encountered this phenomenon more than once in our own lives and tried in every possible way to get rid of the obsessive state. The amazing fact is that the brain and psyche are able to build a line of behavior on a subconscious level that helps to cope with the situation and reduce negative consequences.
For example, a tense situation prompts us to change our behavior - find a new job with more comfortable conditions, change our social circle, choose a different route, etc.
If we cannot change the situation, we change our attitude towards it, choosing excuses for what is happening, making a compromise. In extreme cases, the ignoring mechanism is triggered. This is especially often used when communicating online on social networks. The easiest way is to blacklist your interlocutor than to try to convince him of your point of view.
The more “closed-minded” the thinking, the greater the risk of dissonance. The task of a developed personality is to perceive information without dividing everything into “black and white.” The more aspects a person is able to understand, the more flexible his psyche and the broader his thinking. Obsessed people are more susceptible to internal conflicts. Although this condition is common to all of us, the amount of damage that cognitive dissonance causes depends on perception and flexibility of thinking.
Carolina Korableva
About the author: Hello! I am Karolina Korableva. I live in the Moscow region, in the city of Odintsovo. I love life and people. I try to be realistic and optimistic in life. What I value in people is their ability to behave. I am interested in psychology, in particular conflictology. Graduated from RGSU, Faculty of Occupational Psychology and Special Psychology.
[edit] How it works
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KO delivers CD
Children's version
The pharmacy does not sell medicines!
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What is the essence of fear, ambiguity and dissonance? The wood grouse delves into the subject
. Imagine that a well-known person comes to you, whom you consider quite smart and savvy, and explains that he does not have gas supplied to his house, electric stoves, but he wants to install gas Under this sauce, with a serious look, he asks for help in finding an adapter from 380 V to gas. It's an awkward feeling when you're serious
you wonder which of you two is the idiot, and there is cognitive dissonance.
Theoretically, CD should evoke a desire to either change ideas and knowledge in accordance with reality (that is, stimulate the process of cognition), or double-check incoming information for its authenticity (friend, of course, is joking, and his ultimate goal is your stupidly elongated attempt to understand what what is the face for?)
Practically neither one nor the other happens, the process fades out without even reaching the stage of discomfort - in the heads of 95% of the population completely contradictory facts and ideas about them coexist perfectly, and nothing (“doublethink”, see 1984). British scientists have proven that this is not due to the complete absence of mosca, which is a necessary environment for the emergence of at least some kind of mental reaction, but simply due to the fact that a person either does not care about this matter, or because only for enlightened naguals consistency is more important than the emotional state .
It is also possible to have an unconditional reflexive rejection of information that causes such discomfort. To illustrate, we can point out the popular attempts among the cattle to use brute physical force in response to the desire to call the CD for admonition and education. It is also very typical for rednecks to ask a question like: “What, are you, like, smart, or something?”, uttered in response to such stimuli. So that. On the Internet, when the answer is “yes, colleague, but does it really matter?” leads to itching, excitement and wiping out bricks, the Somali proxy prevents you from giving the fuck in the Orthodox way, and the lack of vocabulary prevents you from using words instead of deeds. More advanced characters even use deductive inference from a certain general rule to refute information that causes CD, which in turn is usually either uncritically perceived from the cultural environment, or is the result of erroneous induction based on biasedly selected facts. Thus, the patient’s worldview can be formed in the form of a harmonious system of delusions: a reassuring lie is deliberately called the truth, so as not to face the cruel truth. This often allows one to reliably keep the subject's heart rate at an inappropriately high level. Moreover, the subject can be stably in this state for as long as desired.
A striking example of the above was demonstrated in 1929 by the surrealist artist René Magritte, who presented to the public a realistic image of a smoking pipe with the caption in good, serviceable French, “This is not a pipe.” By this he transparently hinted that the image of an object, generally speaking, is not identical to the object itself and the confusion of one with the other is a real CD. For those especially gifted, the painting was even given the title “The Cunning of the Image,” but it was all to no avail: the bullshit shitted bricks and demanded that the caption be changed to something more familiar to them, “This is a pipe.” Magritte not only remained adamant, but also continued to catch lulz from this, inviting critics to reinforce their confidence with action, namely, fill his “pipe” with tobacco. There was no clever person who figured out how to roll a “goat’s leg” out of a reproduction painting, stuff it with tobacco and smoke it. And all because a person does not see the difference between an object and its image, since 2D pictures enter the brain and based on them, after examining the tube from all sides, a person builds a full-fledged 3D model.
