Description
This is the feeling
of uncomfortable tension which comes from holding two conflicting thoughts
in the mind at the same time.
Dissonance increases
with:
- The importance of the subject to us.
- How strongly the dissonant thoughts conflict.
- Our inability to rationalize and explain
away the conflict.
Dissonance is often
strong when we believe something about ourselves and then do something
against that belief. If I believe I am good but do something bad, then the discomfort I feel as a
result is cognitive dissonance.
Cognitive dissonance
is a very powerful motivator which will often lead us to change one or
other of the conflicting belief or action. The discomfort often feels like a tension between the
two opposing thoughts. To release the tension we can take one of three actions:
- Change our behavior.
- Justify our behavior by changing the conflicting
cognition.
- Justify our behavior by adding new cognitions.
Dissonance is most
powerful when it is about our self-image. Feelings of foolishness, immorality
and so on (including internal projections during decision-making) are dissonance in action.
If an action has
been completed and cannot be undone, then the after-the-fact dissonance
compels us to change our beliefs. If beliefs are moved, then the dissonance appears during
decision-making, forcing us to take actions we would not have taken before.
Cognitive dissonance
appears in virtually all evaluations and decisions and is the central
mechanism by which we experience new differences in the world. When we see other people
behave differently to our images of them, when we hold any conflicting thoughts, we experience
dissonance.
Dissonance increases
with the importance and impact of the decision, along with the difficulty of
reversing it. Discomfort about making the wrong choice of car is bigger than when choosing a
lamp.
Research
Festinger first
developed this theory in the 1950s to explain how members of a cult who were
persuaded by their leader, a certain Mrs Keech, that the earth was going to be destroyed on
21st December and that they alone were going to be rescued by aliens, actually increased their
commitment to the cult when this did not happen (Festinger himself had infiltrated the cult, and
would have been very surprised to meet little green men). The dissonance of the thought of
being so stupid was so great that instead they revised their beliefs to meet with obvious facts:
that the aliens had, through their concern for the cult, saved the world instead.
In a more mundane
experiment, Festinger and Carlsmith got students to lie about a boring task.
Those who were paid $1 felt uncomfortable lying.
Example
Smokers find all
kinds of reasons to explain away their unhealthy habit. The alternative is to feel
a great deal of dissonance.
So what?
Using it
Cognitive dissonance
is central to many forms of persuasion to change beliefs, values, attitudes
and behaviors. The tension can be injected suddenly or allowed to build up over time. People
can be moved in many small jumps or one large one.
Defending
When you start
feeling uncomfortable, stop and see if you can find the inner conflict. Then
notice how that came about. If it was somebody else who put that conflict there, you can
decide not to play any more with them.
