Cognitive Dissonance Theory
Core Definition: A psychological theory stating that individuals experience severe mental discomfort or emotional tension (dissonance) when their behaviors conflict with their pre-existing, deeply held beliefs or attitudes.
Key Characteristics
- Emotional Driver: Driven entirely by the motivation to reduce unpleasant psychological arousal (guilt, stress, or anxiety).
- Pre-existing Attitudes: Requires strong, well-defined beliefs to be present before the conflicting behavior occurs.
- Resolution Mechanism: To eliminate the discomfort, the individual modifies their internal belief to align with the action they already took.
Classic Example
- Scenario: A person knows smoking causes cancer but continues to smoke.
- Dissonance: "I am doing something that will harm me."
- Resolution: They convince themselves that the health risks are exaggerated or that smoking reduces their stress, changing their belief to justify the action.
books
- Social Dissonance by Mattin