Cognitive Dissonance: Theory, Examples & How to Reduce It

When BJW-threat was high, participants who were told the victimization took place in the recent past blamed the victim's behavior more than did participants told the victimization was in the distant past. To the contrary, participants who were told the victimization took place in the distant past blamed the character of the victim more and saw greater benefits in her suffering than did participants who thought the victimization was in the recent past. In terms of Hafer and Gosse's (2010) organization of BJW-defense strategies, Warner et al.'s (2012) temporal distance variable probably influenced endorsement of different strategies through the availability principle. That is, temporal distance might have affected the availability of BJW-defense strategies that required different modes of thinking. Third, people are likely to prefer to attain their desired ends in ways that satisfy multiple motives.

The concept of cognitive dissonance is nicely explained in this YouTube video by social psychologist Andy Luttrell. She says that reaching more consistency in your thoughts and behaviors will create a world that's less harmful, less likely to trigger negative emotions, and therefore, less problematic. The effects of product expectations on product experience (plot of the data from Olson and Dover, 1976). The bars indicate the mean ratings of the reported 'belief strength' of the bitterness of coffee.

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If they did, that indicated they had a sense of guilt that they understood enough to need to cover it up. The inmates who were actually innocent due to their inability wouldn't need reasons or excuses for what they did; they just did it. Each of these ways of justifying keep Jennie stuck in the same loop of believing she should exercise, not exercising, and trying not to notice it or feel bad about it. When we resolve dissonance we can feel more peace, like ourselves more, and feel clarity.

You know smoking is bad for your health, but you continue to do it anyway. Cognitive dissonance is that disconnect between what we believe and what we do - it's an experience we all have at one time or another. While it can be uncomfortable and stressful to act in a way that feels contrary to what we believe, it's a common experience.

Cognitive dissonance vs. cognitive bias

They tried to get orders and messages from the "spacemen" for a future reality that would be consistent with their original beliefs. Most studies are unable to test such relations because they do not include all three elements noted in the previous paragraph, although there are a few exceptions (e.g., Kay, Jost, & Young, 2005, Study 1; Warner et al., 2012, Study 4). In one exception, Warner et al. (2012, Study 4) found that the temporal distance of victimization determined the degree to which people endorsed different BJW-defense strategies.

• It can become problematic if it leads you to justify or rationalize behaviors that could be harmful.
• This clash of beliefs and disruption of thought can also occur if you have two or more conflicting beliefs and you're torn between them.
• "All of us, and I mean all of us, have something we have dissonant beliefs and behaviors about," says Alauna Curry, MD, a trauma psychiatrist based in Houston.
• This offers opportunities to discuss the discrepancies, deepen the relationship, and re-align values.

You realize that you were making a decision that was out of step with what you said you wanted to do. Join 550,000+ helping professionals who get free, science-based tools sent directly to their inbox. The original book by Leon Festinger is a staple on every (social) treatment for cognitive dissonance psychologist's bookshelf. Patients are likely to feel uncomfortable when dissonant thoughts are discussed, which can impede their ability to think constructively. Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive CBT Exercises for free.

Action - motivation model

As we mentioned earlier, many people know that smoking is harmful to their health - yet they continue to do it. Addiction is one of the most powerful causes of cognitive dissonance. When the effort doesn't seem to be "worth it," we often make up reasons why it was better than the alternative.

Cognitive dissonance is an internal tool for building self-awareness. In order to live our lives with purpose, clarity, and passion, we need these tools to understand when we’re losing sight of our internal compass. We benefit, though, from approaching these inconsistencies with curiosity and grace, even when we want to change them. It’s giving you the information you need to be at peace with your decisions and to understand why you made them. Developing the self-awareness to notice and question the dissonance often resolves it.