cognitive dissonance<\/h3>\r\n
Cognitive dissonance<\/b><\/span> is the psychological discomfort we feel when we hold two or more inconsistent thoughts, attitudes, or behaviors (Festinger, 1957). In other words, when what we do<\/i> conflicts with what we believe<\/i>, we experience tension that pushes us to resolve the mismatch.<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n Research shows that dissonance is most likely when the inconsistency threatens our positive self-image<\/b><\/span> (Greenwald & Ronis, 1978). It is not just uncomfortable psychologically\u2014it also produces physiological arousal<\/b><\/span> (Croyle & Cooper, 1983) and activates brain regions involved in emotion and cognitive control (van Veen, Krug, Schooler, & Carter, 2009). Because of this, people are highly motivated to reduce dissonance in whatever way they can.<\/p>\r\n We can reduce cognitive dissonance by bringing our cognitions, attitudes, and behaviors in line\u2014that is, making them harmonious. This can be done in different ways, such as:<\/p>\r\n Consider John<\/span>, a 20-year-old who enlists in the military. Boot camp is exhausting\u2014early wake-ups, physical strain, little sleep, and constant stress. John feels miserable, and he cannot change his behavior because he is legally committed to four years of service.<\/p>\r\n If John continues thinking only about how miserable he is, he will remain in a state of ongoing dissonance. To reduce it, he may shift his beliefs:<\/p>\r\n \u201cThis experience is making me stronger and more disciplined.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t \u201cI\u2019m learning valuable skills and contributing to something meaningful.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n By reframing the situation, John restores consistency between his experience and his self-image, reducing dissonance and increasing his satisfaction.<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n A well-known historical example of cognitive dissonance is the Semmelweis reflex<\/b><\/span>\u2014the tendency to reject new information when it threatens existing beliefs or professional identity.<\/p>\r\n When Ignaz Semmelweis, a 19th-century Hungarian physician, showed that handwashing dramatically reduced maternal deaths, many physicians refused to accept his findings because doing so meant admitting their own practices had been harming patients. This clash created intense cognitive dissonance.<\/p>\r\n To reduce the discomfort, many doctors chose to reject the evidence rather than revise their beliefs about themselves or their profession. This leads to other psychological concepts, like belief perseverance (the tendency to stick to initial beliefs even when presented with contradicting evidence) and confirmation bias (the inclination to favor information that confirms pre-existing beliefs while ignoring evidence that challenges them).<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<\/section>\r\n The military example above shows that a difficult initiation into a group influences us to like the group more.<\/p>\r\n Another social psychology concept addresses the effort invested into something and our feelings about it\u2014the justification of effort.<\/p>\r\n The concept of justification of effort<\/strong> suggests that the more effort we put into something, the more we tend to value it. For example, if you move to an apartment and spend hours assembling a dresser you bought from Ikea, you will value that more than a fancier dresser your parents bought you. We do not want to waste time and effort joining a group that we eventually leave.<\/p>\r\n A classic experiment by Aronson and Mills (1959) demonstrated this justification of the effort effect.<\/p>\r\n College students volunteered to join a campus group that would meet regularly to discuss the psychology of sex. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: no initiation, an easy initiation, and a difficult initiation into the group.<\/p>\r\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/textimgs.s3.amazonaws.com\/ospsych\/m49120\/CNX_Psych_12_03_dissonance.jpg#fixme\")
Figure 1<\/strong>. Cognitive dissonance is aroused by inconsistent beliefs and behaviors. Believing cigarettes are bad for your health, but smoking cigarettes anyway can cause cognitive dissonance. To reduce cognitive dissonance, individuals can change their behavior, as in quitting smoking, or change their beliefs, such as discounting the evidence that smoking is harmful. (credit \u201ccigarettes\u201d: modification of work by CDC\/Debora Cartagena; \u201cpatch\u201d: modification of \"RegBarc\"\/Wikimedia Commons; \u201csmoking\u201d: modification of work by Tim Parkinson)[\/caption]\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/section>\r\nReducing cognitive dissonance<\/h3>\r\n
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Example: Dissonance in a Difficult Situation<\/b><\/h3>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"398\"]
![\"A](\"https:\/\/textimgs.s3.amazonaws.com\/ospsych\/m49120\/CNX_Psych_12_03_marinesn.jpg#fixme\")
Figure 2<\/strong>. A person who has chosen a difficult path must deal with cognitive dissonance in addition to many other discomforts. (credit: Tyler J. Bolken)[\/caption]\r\n\r\n\r\n\t
The Semmelweis Reflex: A Classic Case of Cognitive Dissonance<\/b><\/h3>\r\n
Effect of Initiation<\/h2>\r\n
justification of effort<\/h3>\r\n
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\r\nAccording to this theory, when we invest time, energy, or discomfort into a goal, we convince ourselves that the outcome must be worthwhile. It helps us avoid the feeling that our effort was \u201cfor nothing.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\nInitiation Study: Aronson & Mills (1959)<\/b><\/h3>\r\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2015\/02\/04225014\/22ddaa3be79c2875dab1e1b248b49da699de7b87.jpeg\")
<\/a> Figure 3<\/strong>. Justification of effort has a distinct effect on a person liking a group. Students in the difficult initiation condition liked the group more than students in other conditions due to the justification of effort.[\/caption]\r\n<\/figure>\r\n