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Cognitive Dissonance Theory

The document discusses cognitive dissonance theory, including that it refers to conflicting attitudes, beliefs or behaviors that produce discomfort and the motivation to reduce that discomfort. It provides definitions and examples, and discusses how cognitive dissonance can be reduced by changing behaviors, justifying behaviors, or adding new cognitions.

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Gigi Velasco Severo
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52 views16 pages

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

The document discusses cognitive dissonance theory, including that it refers to conflicting attitudes, beliefs or behaviors that produce discomfort and the motivation to reduce that discomfort. It provides definitions and examples, and discusses how cognitive dissonance can be reduced by changing behaviors, justifying behaviors, or adding new cognitions.

Uploaded by

Gigi Velasco Severo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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COGNI

DISSONANCE
TIVE
THEORY
GROUP MEMBERS

KATHY & JOH


GYLCE N
MARY IVY
GRACE ISABEL
IN T R O D U
C T I O N
COGNITIVE
DISSONANCE
• Cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling
caused by holding two contradictory ideas
simultaneously.
• The history of cognitive dissonance proposes that
people have a motivational drive to reduce
dissonance by changing their attitudes beliefs and
behaviors, or by justifying or rationalizing them.
• It is one of the most influential and extensively
studies theories in social psychology.
DEFINIT
• Cognitive dissonance refers to a situation involving
conflicting attitudes, belief or behaviors.

ION
• The produces a feeling of discomfort and restore
balance etc.
• For example, when people [ behavior ] and they
know that smoking causes cancer [ cognition ].
• Dissonance occurs when a person perceives a log
inconsistency in their beliefs, when one idea
implies the opposite of another.
COGNITION 1 COGNITION 2

COGNITIVE
DISSONANCE

MOTIVATED TO REDUCE
WHAT IS
COGNITIVE
DISSONANCE
• Cognitive dissonance plays a role in many
value judgements, decisions and
IMPORTANT?
evaluations. Becoming aware of how
conflicting beliefs impact the decisions-
making process is a great way to improve
your ability to make faster and more
accurate choice.
• Cognitive dissonance theory suggest that we
have an in drive to hold all our attitudes and
beliefs in harmony and avoid disharmony [ or
dissonance ].
• Attitudes may change because of factors within
the person.
• An important factor here is the principle of
cognitive consistency, the focus of Festinger’s
[1957] theory of cognitive dissonance.
• This theory starts from the idea that seek
consistency in our beliefs and attitudes in any
situation where two cognitions are inconsistent.
LEON FESTINGER
• Proposed cognitive dissonance theory, which states
[ 1957]
that a powerful motive to maintain cognitive
consistency can give rise to irrational and
sometimes adaptive behavior.
• According to Festinger, we hold many cognitions
about the world and ourselves; when they clash, a
discrepancy is evoked, resulting in a state of
tension known as cognitive dissonance. As the
experience of dissonance is unpleasant, we
motivated to reduce or eliminate it, and achieve
consonance
• A cognition can be considered a belief.
• If you like to smoke then this can be considered a cognition.
•
COGNITIVE
If you like ice cream then this is another cognition.
• Those two belief are not related to each other but if one of them

DISSONANCE became dissonant with the other then according to the Cognitive
dissonance theory Cognitive dissonance will happen.
THEORY • For example if you like to smoke but you know that smoking is
harmful then that would result is Cognitive dissonance
EXAMPLE • The Cognitive dissonance theory states that when two cognition
become dissonant Cognitive dissonance happens.
EXAMPLE 1 ; Knowing that smoking
is harmful [ First cognition ] while
liking to smoke [ second cognition ].
The Cognitive dissonance theory’s
conditions were met because those
cognitive dissonance are dissonant.

EXAMPLE 2; Believing that lying is bad


[ First cognition] and being forced to lie
[ second cognition]
• People adapt to cognitive dissonance in different ways.
• For example a person might adapt by creating a new cognition,
a second may adapt by changing his attitude and a third may
adapt by changing his behavior.
• In the next few lines I will give some examples for adaptation
COGNITIVE according to the Cognitive dissonance theory based on the

DISSONANC previous two examples.


• EXAMPLE 1; In such a case a person could create a new
E THEORY cognition by claiming that lots of old people smoke since they
were young and they are still healthy.
AND • EXAMPLE 2; In this case the person might change his

ADAPTION behavior by not lying or even change his attitude by claiming


that he believes in the lie.
CHANGE OUR BEHAVIOR
• The first aspect we can look at is changing your behavior If we
have this internal conflict, we can at times change our behavior
THREE WAYS to help us deal with the conflict at hand.
JUSTIFY OUR BEHAVIOR BY CHANGING THE
TO ADDRESS CONFLICTING COGNITION
COGNITIVE • Here, we are justifying why we are acting the way we act and
again removing one aspect of the conflict.
DISSONANCE JUSTIFY OUR BEHAVIOR BY ADDING NEW COGNITIONS
• We can add new concepts, ideas, or behaviors to explain or
justify conflicts.
HOW TO
REDUCE
COGNITIVE
DISSONANC • Focus on more supportive beliefs that outweigh the dissonant
E belief or behavior
• Reduce the importance of the conflicting belief
THERE ARE THREE KEY • Change the conflicting belief so that it is consistent with other
STRATEGIES TO REDUCE OR beliefs or behaviors
MINIMIZE COGNITIVE
DISSONANCE
CONCLU
• The theory of cognitive dissonance
proposes that people have a motivational

SION
drive to reduce dissonance by changing
their attitudes, beliefs and behaviors, or by
justifying or rationalizing them.
• Cognitive dissonance is common in the
work place. Employees need to increase
thier self awareness to counter it.
THANK YO
U FOR
LISTENING
!

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