Dissonance as a result of decision making

Let's take a textbook situation: a girl bought tickets to the theater, but that same evening her friends are waiting for you to watch football. Regardless of your choice, remorse and regret await you after making a decision. The rejected alternative will equally well poison your life both in the second-tier box and in the chair in front of the TV. After devoting an evening to the theater, you will come to the conclusion that all the performances are rubbish, and the girl becomes obsessive. Having given yourself over to sports passions, you will decide that the game turned out to be boring, and your friends are limited people. This is cognitive dissonance: first we make a choice, after which the positive aspects of the rejected one come into conflict with the negative aspects of the chosen one, leading to psychological discomfort. A similar effect occurs with almost any choice from equivalent options. Without noticing it, you may experience slight dissatisfaction both when you choose a tie in the morning and when you make a purchase. The most clear illustration of such a struggle is the famous monologue about “big ones of five” and “small ones of three.”

Dissonance as a result of forced actions

Participate in the ritual weeding of potatoes, use reliable contraception, pay taxes - we always have to do what we don’t want to do. If you look at it, a person has to force himself not only every day, but several times an hour. Starting in the morning: getting up, exercising, shaving, breakfast. “The collision of two opposing knowledge about the same object” begins from the very moment of awakening. The object, that is, you, is, on the one hand, a physical organism. And he, this body, needs another 2-3 hours of sleep in the morning. On the other hand, you are a social organism that needs to go to work. Typical cognitive dissonance. We will omit the unpleasant moments of the work process; it is enough that we are not allowed to sleep at work. Closer to night, when the body finally wakes up and begins to demand adventure, the mind reminds that it’s time for a treat. We are again dissatisfied and do not know who to be offended at - either our physical self or our social one. At such moments, a collision occurs in our minds of the positive aspects of the desired with the negative aspects of the forced action. We curse the country in which we were born, snap at loved ones, break dishes, in short, we experience disharmony in our inner world.

Disagreement with the beliefs of a social group

Each of us has many social groups. These include family, friends, and work teams. And in each group there are certain rules, beliefs, and norms of behavior. Disagreement with the beliefs of one's social group is another source of cognitive dissonance. For example, all your friends have long ago acquired cars. Cars became the main topic of their conversations, cars entered their lives with rights that not every girl had in your life. And, of course, they, your friends, are offended that you do not share their insanity. Perhaps you don't own a snorting piece of hardware simply because you don't need it. A car ride to work takes 45 minutes, and 20 by metro. You don’t know what a technical inspection is, you don’t face the Saturday dilemma of “to drink or not to drink,” and you’re not haunted by nightmares about engine overhaul. But on the other hand, you also don’t know the special joy of passing a technical inspection. You do not participate in discussions about the advantages of Tavria over Oka; traveling out of town and transporting things is a problem for you. And no, no, and the thought will come: “maybe they are right?” In such situations, an individual, even if he is absolutely sure that he is right, inevitably worries about the discrepancy between his own opinion and the opinions of others. Moreover, resisting the majority can be much more difficult than changing one’s own position.

Dissonance resulting from unexpected consequences of an action

Any action implies a goal. Achieving a goal is the expected result of an action. But sometimes the result deviates from what was planned. You go home with the goal of making everyone happy with your promotion. But instead of joyful exclamations, you hear: “You already spend all your evenings at work, and now, presumably, you are going to move there?” You, remembering your youth, want to return the ball to the guys with a deft blow, but instead you hit the head of a sitting old woman and lose your shoe. Or, for example, in response to the original remark “Girl, can I meet you?” you receive explanations of the route to such distant lands that you forget where and why you were going. It is at this moment that you fall into the trap of two mutually exclusive knowledge. On the one hand, the tactics you used always led you to victory, on the other hand, it was precisely this that caused failure. Any unexpected result carries with it this contradiction between what was expected and what was received. It is not surprising that in the end you get upset, angry, surprised, in general, you find that very state of “psychological discomfort”.

Three ways to effectively combat cognitive dissonance

However, the very fact of the existence of cognitive dissonance is, in essence, of little interest. We already know that the problem of choice or an unpleasant outcome does not bring positive emotions. It is much more interesting to observe how our consciousness copes with such situations. Working in 1957 on the theory of cognitive dissonance, the American psychologist Festinger came to the conclusion that a person cannot remain in a state of stress for a long time and strives to restore internal harmony, as mentioned above. Experiments on patients have shown that there are three main ways to deal with conflicting knowledge.

O change one of the elements of dissonant relationships

Two knowledge about the same thing turns into two knowledge about different things. For example, after an unsuccessful attempt at dating, an individual tells himself that, on the occasion of a good mood, he just wanted to make fun of the unfortunate girl. After which disappointment gives way to satisfaction - the joke was a success. If you commit a forced act, convince yourself that it was precisely this act that you wanted to do.

O adding new elements consistent with existing ones

It is very easy to introduce a harmonizing element into a theatrical football situation; it is enough to buy tickets for another performance immediately after the match. You've been promoted, but your family isn't happy. What knowledge could be added here to make everything fall into place? Geniuses never found understanding in the family. And getting up early would be simply terrible if it weren’t for the certainty that after a couple of years of hard work you will forever be freed from the need to wake up before one in the afternoon. And in general, when faced with any dilemma, like Ilya-Muromets before a stone, think about whether it is possible to find a compromise solution. For example, go not straight, not to the right, but somehow diagonally, in order to save the horse and stay alive, or, in spite of fate, take some completely fourth option - turn the horse towards the familiar stove.

When reality raises too many questions, discomfort increases in the brain. Or in scientific terms: cognitive dissonance arises. In order not to stress and restore harmony, the brain invents perception tricks: blocks unfavorable information, finds the necessary evidence, calms, lulls. This property of our brain is used by those around us without a twinge of conscience. So knowing the tricks will help you not only understand yourself better, but also resist manipulation.

What is cognitive dissonance

Cognitive dissonance is a state of mental or psychological discomfort caused by the clash of conflicting ideas, behaviors, beliefs, emotions or feelings. Occurs when a person receives unexpected information that differs from his past experience. Or when he witnesses unpredictable actions, inexplicable events. The mechanism of cognitive dissonance is based on a simple but common situation: the presence of two mutually exclusive desires.

Dissonance is the opposite of the balance our brains strive for. According to balance theory, people prefer harmony and consistency in their knowledge of the world. It is difficult for the psyche to be in a state of alarming inconsistency. Therefore, in order to reduce psychological discomfort from internal conflict, a person changes his opinion, comes up with an excuse for the change, and subsequently changes his behavior. This is how he maintains his peace of mind.

The paradox is that the more a person defends his behavior, the more willingly he changes his beliefs when circumstances change. For example, in moments of danger, after disasters, atheists become devout believers. The saying “there are no atheists in trenches” is about this. What else? Irreconcilable macho misogynists become caring husbands after marriage, and patriots, after emigrating to another country, actively stop loving their former neighbors.

How our brain reduces discomfort with cognitive dissonance

Let's say you smoke and receive information about the dangers of smoking. There are 4 ways to maintain peace of mind.

1. Change behavior: “I quit smoking to preserve my health and that of my loved ones.”
2. Justify your habit, add new facts: “I will smoke fewer cigarettes or replace them with less harmful ones.”
3. Change self-esteem or importance of decision-making: “If I quit smoking, I will get better (become angry). This will make it even worse for me and my family.”
4. Ignore data that contradicts beliefs: “I know smokers who lived to be 90 years old. So cigarettes are not that harmful.”

The listed mechanisms help not only to avoid internal tension, but also to avoid interpersonal complications. For example, we complain to strangers about our spouses, thereby relieving internal tension. Having done something bad, we look for allies. We come up with excuses for our spouses to cheat, we don’t notice the ugly actions of our children. Or vice versa – we downplay the career achievements of our competitors, explaining them as mere luck, hypocrisy, or cronyism.

The theory of cognitive dissonance and its evidence

The definition of cognitive dissonance is one of the basic concepts in psychology. The author of the theory and many experiments was the American psychologist Leon Festinger (1919-1989). He formulated a definition and two main hypotheses:

• Hypothesis 1: the mental discomfort experienced by a person in a certain situation will motivate him to avoid similar situations in the future.
• Hypothesis 2: a person experiencing psychological discomfort will strive by any means to reduce mental discomfort.

According to the author of the theory, the causes of cognitive dissonance can be logically incompatible things, cultural customs, the opposition of one person’s opinion to public opinion, and painful past experiences. That is, the proverb “burnt on milk, blows on water” precisely describes a person’s reluctance to repeat a negative or painful past experience.

Leon Festinger's theory is confirmed by experiments and studies of brain activity conducted on a tomograph. During the experiment, conditions were created for the subject to experience simple cognitive dissonance (they were shown a red piece of paper and named another color) and their brain activity was scanned on a tomograph. Tomography results showed that during internal conflict, the cingulate cortex of the brain is activated, which is responsible for controlling certain activities, identifying errors, monitoring conflicts, and switching attention. Then the experimental conditions became more complicated, and the subject was given increasingly contradictory tasks. Studies have shown: the fewer justifications a subject finds for his action, the more tension he experiences, the more excited this area of ​​the brain is.

Cognitive dissonance: examples from life

Cognitive dissonance occurs whenever there is a need to make a choice or express an opinion. That is, dissonance is an everyday, every-minute phenomenon. Any decisions: drinking tea or coffee in the morning, choosing products of one brand or another in a store, marrying a worthy suitor, will provoke discomfort. The degree of inconvenience depends on the significance of its components for a person. The higher the significance, the stronger the person strives to neutralize dissonance.

For example, the most painful cognitive dissonance occurs when when someone finds himself in a different cultural environment. For example, for women who left with their Muslim husband to his homeland. Differences in mentality, clothing, behavior, cuisine, and traditions cause severe discomfort from the very beginning. To reduce tension, women have to change their ideas about their own traditions and accept new rules of the game dictated by local society.

Knowing this feature of the human psyche, politicians, spiritual leaders, advertisers, sellers use it for manipulation. How it works? Cognitive dissonance causes not only discomfort, but also strong emotions. And emotions are motivators that force a person to take a certain action: buy, vote, join an organization, donate. Therefore, social agents in our environment constantly provoke cognitive dissonance in our brain to influence our opinions and behavior.

The most illustrative examples can be seen in advertising:

• Buy our product because you deserve it.
• Loving parents buy chocolate/water/toys/sour cream from our brand for their children.
• Real leaders have already subscribed to our channel/read the new book.
• Good housewives use our floor/stove/glass cleaner.
• This book is a real bestseller, haven't you read it yet?

So, the dissonance is complete. The brain begins to boil from tension and looks for ways to reduce unpleasant sensations, get out of the current situation, and plunge into a state of calm. If the right solution is not found or the situation is resolved destructively, the tension does not go away. And in a state of constant anxiety, you can reach neurosis or very real psychosomatic diseases. Therefore, the manifestation of dissonance cannot be ignored, but it is worth looking for ways to weaken it.

How to Reduce Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance is embedded in our subcortex at the genetic level. Moreover, even primates experience discomfort when making decisions. Therefore, there is only one way to completely get rid of it - to completely close yourself off from society. But then the joy of relationships, communication, and learning new things will disappear.

But not everything is so categorical. Playing on emotions, artificially creating discomfort, motivation, influence - all these are not natural phenomena, but technologies invented by people. And what one person came up with can be solved by another. A few helpful tips will help you adjust your psychological “default settings” so that you don’t fall into brain traps so often.

Change the attitudes that prevent us from living

Attitudes are statements that we have adopted from people significant to us. Moreover, they adopted it only on faith, without evidence. For example, parents said: “Only those who are excellent students are worthy of respect. All C and D students are just losers.” When we come to an alumni meeting with such an attitude, we experience a real “brain explosion.” A C student owns his own business, while an A student is content with a modest office position.

What to do with incorrect settings? Learn to change to neutral. Write down on a piece of paper all the attitudes that interfere with your life and cross them out with a bold line. After all, life is unpredictable.

Use common sense

Experienced advertisers know that people are ready to automatically follow authority, so they use popular personalities in advertising: singers, actors, football players. In life, we also willingly obey authorities: parents, teachers, police officers, politicians. Dissonance is felt most painfully when we are confronted with the unsympathetic actions of such people. As soon as we start looking for excuses for such actions, we make the situation even worse.

How not to make excuses for others? Don't trust everything you say or see. Ask questions more often: why? who benefits from this? what's really going on? After all, authorities are people with their own shortcomings and weaknesses.

Add a drop of cynicism

There are truths in life that we refuse to acknowledge and constantly step on the same rake. For example, by constantly helping adult children, we do not allow them to grow up. Or: others need us only when we bring them benefits. Or: a person whom we consider ideal may commit ugly acts. Or: although money will not provide happiness, it is much easier to develop, realize yourself, help your family, and travel with it.

Does cynicism help you be happier? Dosed cynicism, criticality, and a sense of humor are unlikely to make a person a cynic. But they will help remove the rose-colored glasses of trust.

When the brain is cleared of old programs and attitudes, stops believing everything that is said and learns to think critically, transformations begin in life. Without unnecessary stress, physical pain goes away, exaggerated emotional reactions to stimuli disappear, and a desire arises to independently evaluate what is happening. But the main thing is that we stop being afraid of making the wrong choices. After all, not everything in life can be measured using the signs “greater than,” “less than,” or “equal to.”

conclusions

• Cognitive dissonance is psychological stress due to a discrepancy between expectations and real life.
• There is no single correct solution. To get rid of the constant torment of choice and the stress associated with it, it is worth developing your own rules of the game and gaining the unique ability to be yourself.
• Any unpleasant tension causes a desire to neutralize the imbalance in the most comfortable or simple way. This is self-justification, a change in beliefs, a change in behavior.
• The social environment deliberately causes an imbalance in us in order to force us to act in the right way. That is, he manipulates.
• Our nature is based on being curious and educated. A little criticism, cynicism and a sense of humor will help you survive.

Every person at least once in his life has experienced a strange feeling when new information does not correspond to the idea and knowledge about it received earlier. Fritz Heider was the first to define this condition in 1944 - cognitive dissonance, and Leon Festinger developed its theory in 1957.

Cognitive dissonance - what is it?

Having studied the basic principles of the theory, psychologists came to the conclusion that cognitive dissonance is psychological discomfort that is caused by a discrepancy between existing concepts, ideas and incoming new information. The following motives and aspects of inconsistency often lead to:

• religious;
• moral;
• value-based;
• emotional.

Cognitive dissonance - psychology

Each individual accumulates some experience over a certain period of time. However, overcoming time intervals, he is forced to function according to existing circumstances that do not fit in with previously acquired knowledge. This causes internal psychological discomfort, to alleviate which a compromise must be found. Cognitive dissonance in psychology means trying to explain the reason for a person’s action, his actions in a variety of life situations.

Causes of cognitive dissonance

The phenomenon of cognitive dissonance can occur for several reasons. Psychologists include the following among common provoking factors:

• Inconsistency of concepts and ideas on which this or that decision is based.
• Different life beliefs compared to the norms accepted in society or in a certain group.
• A rebellious spirit of contradiction, which is caused by a reluctance to obey ethical and cultural social norms, especially if they run counter to the legal framework.
• Inconsistency with data obtained as a result of any experience, conditions or situation.

Cognitive dissonance - symptoms

The state of cognitive dissonance can manifest itself in different ways. For most, the first signals appear during the labor process. Brain activity is hampered, and situations requiring analysis can get out of control. New information is perceived with great difficulty, and drawing a conclusion is a problem. In later stages, speech function may be impaired, and it becomes difficult for a person to formulate a thought, choose the right words and simply pronounce them.

Cognitive dissonance takes the brunt of memory. Events that happened recently are erased first. The next alarming signal is the disappearance of memories from adolescence and childhood. Less common, but one that needs to be taken into account is lack of ability. It becomes difficult for a person to grasp the essence of the conversation; he constantly asks to repeat certain sentences or individual phrases. All these symptoms indicate the need for consultation with a neurologist.

Cognitive dissonance - types

Many psychologists believe that emotion is not a mental state, but a response of the human body to a certain situation. There is a theory according to which cognitive-emotional dissonance is defined as a state of negative emotions that occurs when receiving psychologically contradictory information. A situation in which the expected results will appear will help change the situation.

Cognitive dissonance - treatment

Cognitive personality dissonance is directly related to the causes of the disorder. Therapy should be aimed at correcting and eliminating pathological conditions in the brain. To treat the underlying disease, improve and restore cognitive functions, specialists prescribe a number of medications that have neuroprotective properties. This helps prevent cognitive impairment in the future.

Cognitive dissonance - books

It is believed that a book is the best source of knowledge. Many works have been published that describe the concept of cognitive dissonance, intrapersonal conflict and disharmony (translated from Latin). Various sources provide types of mental conditions, causes of occurrence and ways to combat some of them. The main publications by psychologists include:

1. "The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance" Leon Festinger. The book significantly influenced the development of social psychology in the world. It analyzes and describes several key issues in detail. For example, the concept of cognitive dissonance and its theory, the peculiarities of social and psychological phenomena, methods and techniques of psychological influence.
2. "Psychology of influence" Robert Cialdini. Most domestic and Western psychologists recognized the manual as the best on issues of conflict management, social psychology and management.
3. "The cognitive dissonance" Alina Marchik. Everything must be harmonious (feelings, emotions, beliefs), otherwise a person is guaranteed discomfort, from which he gets rid of in different ways. The new action movie with detective elements will be appreciated by fans of riddles and puzzles - it is imbued with stories and adventures. The author gave a riddle that can have as many answers as there are people reading the book. What did the main characters do?

Parameter name	Meaning
Article topic:	Dissonance and consonance
Rubric (thematic category)	Art

Irrelevant relationships

Two elements may simply have nothing in common. In other words, under such circumstances, when one cognitive element is not transferred anywhere

intersects with another element, these two elements are neutral, or irrelevant, By attitude towards each other.

For example, let us imagine a person who knows that a letter from New York to Paris, sent by regular sea mail, can take 2 weeks, and that a dry, hot July is very good for a rich grain harvest in Iowa. These two elements of knowledge have nothing in common with each other, i.e. they are irrelevant in relation to each other. Of course, it is difficult to say anything definite about such irrelevant relationships, except that they exist. The focus of our attention will be only those pairs of elements between which relations of consonance or dissonance arise.

In many cases, however, it is very difficult to decide whether two elements are irrelevant. Often this is simply impossible to determine without taking into account the knowledge of the individual. Sometimes it may happen that, due to the nature of the actual behavior of a given person, previously irrelevant elements can become relevant in relation to each other. This could happen even in the above example. If a person living in Paris were trading grain in the United States, he would certainly want to know the weather forecast for Iowa, although information about the delivery times of mail from New York to Paris would still remain for him insignificant.

Before we proceed to define and discuss the relations of consonance and dissonance that exist between relevant elements, it would be useful to emphasize once again the special character of those cognitive elements that are relevant to the behavior of the individual. Such a “behavioural”

a cognitive element, being relevant to each of two irrelevant cognitive elements, can make them actually relevant to each other.

Relevant relationships:

By this point, the reader has probably already formed an idea of ​​the nature of the phenomenon of dissonance. Two elements are dissonant with respect to each other if for some reason they do not correspond to each other.

We can now move on to attempt a more formal conceptual definition.

Let us consider two elements that exist in human knowledge and are relevant in relation to each other. Dissonance theory ignores the existence of all other cognitive elements that are relevant to either of the two elements being analyzed and treats only these two elements separately. Two elements taken separately are in a dissonant relationship if the negation of one element follows from the other. We can say that X and Y are in a dissonant relation if X does not follow from Y. So, for example, if a person knows that only friends are in his environment, but nevertheless experiences fears or uncertainty, this means that there is a dissonant relationship between these two cognitive elements. Or another example: a person, having large debts, buys a new car; in this case, the corresponding cognitive elements will be dissonant in

attitude towards each other. Dissonance may exist due to acquired experience or expectations, or because of what is considered proper or accepted, or for any of a variety of other reasons.

Drives and desires are also factors that determine whether two elements are dissonant or not. For example, a person playing cards for money can continue to play and lose, knowing that his partners are professional players. This last knowledge would be dissonant with the awareness of his own behavior, namely, that he continues to play. But in order to identify these elements as dissonant in this example, it is extremely important to accept with a sufficient degree of probability that the individual is trying to win. If, for some strange reason, this person wants to lose, then this relationship would be consonantal.

I will give a number of examples where dissonance between two cognitive elements arises for various reasons.

1. Dissonance can arise due to logical incompatibility. If an individual believes that in the near future a person will land on Mars, but at the same time believes that people are still not able to make a spaceship suitable for this purpose, then these two knowledge are dissonant with respect to each other. The negation of the content of one element follows from the content of another element based on elementary logic.

2. Dissonance may arise due to cultural customs. If a person at a formal banquet picks up a chicken leg with his hand, the knowledge of what he is doing is dissonant in

in relation to knowledge that defines the rules of formal etiquette during an official banquet. Dissonance arises for the simple reason that it is this culture that determines what is decent and what is not. In another culture, these two elements may not be dissonant.

3. Dissonance can arise when one specific opinion is part of a more general opinion. Thus, if a person is a Democrat but votes for the Republican candidate in a given presidential election, the cognitive elements corresponding to these two sets of opinions are dissonant with respect to each other, because the phrase “being a Democrat” includes, by definition, It is extremely important to support Democratic Party candidates.

4. Dissonance can arise based on past experience. If a person gets caught in the rain and, however, hopes to stay dry (not having an umbrella), then these two knowledge will be dissonant with respect to each other, since he knows from past experience that it is impossible to stay dry while standing in the rain. If it were possible to imagine a person who has never been caught in the rain, then the specified knowledge would not be dissonant.

These examples are sufficient to illustrate how the conceptual definition of dissonance can be used empirically to decide whether two cognitive elements are dissonant or consonant. Of course, it is clear that in any of these situations there may be other elements of knowledge that happen to be in a consonantal relationship with either of the two elements in the pair in question. However, the relationship between two elements is dissonant if, ignoring all other elements, one from elements of the pair leads to the denial of the meaning of the other.

The definition of the relations of consonance and irrelevance follows from the definition of the relations of dissonance. If in a pair of elements one of them leads to confirmation of the meaning of the other element, then the relationship between them is consonantal. If neither the negation nor the confirmation of the meaning of the second element of the pair follows from the first element, then the relationship between them is irrelevant.

The conceptual definitions of dissonance and consonance do not, however, provide a sufficient basis for creating a valid instrument for measuring the degree of dissonance. If we strive to confirm the theory of dissonance with empirical data, it is necessary first of all to ensure the accurate identification of the phenomena of dissonance and consonance. It is hopeless to attempt to obtain a complete list of all cognitive elements, and, even if such a list were available, in some cases it will be difficult or simply impossible to determine a priori which of the three possible types of connections occurs in a given case. Much more often, however, the a priori definition of dissonance is clear and precise. (Let us also remember that two cognitive elements are dissonant for a person living in one cultural environment, but not for a person living in another, or for a person with one past experience, but not for a person with another experience.) We will return to This major measurement problem will be addressed in more detail in the chapters that discuss empirical data.

Dissonance and consonance - concept and types. Classification and features of the category "Dissonance and Consonance" 2017, 2018.

Emotions

28.10.2017

Snezhana Ivanova

What does cognitive dissonance mean? When encountering this concept, most people are confused because they do not understand its meaning.

What does cognitive dissonance mean? When encountering this concept, most people are confused because they do not understand its meaning. However, it is quite common in our everyday life. In most cases, so often that we don’t even notice it. Let's take a closer look at this issue.

Cognitive dissonance theory

The theory of cognitive dissonance is called Festinger's theory. This scientist was the first to describe the psychological state of an individual who is faced with some inconsistency in his idea of ​​an object or phenomenon. Festinger called the theory of cognitive dissonance a condition in which the usual idea of ​​​​an object collapses. The individual remains at a loss because he does not know what to do with the new information, how to apply it and what should be done.

Cognitive dissonance as a phenomenon develops for several reasons. These reasons are simple and understandable for those who think about the origin of certain concepts. The theory of cognitive dissonance is a topic that deserves detailed consideration and comprehensive study. As a rule, it interests people close to psychology, involved in personal development and self-improvement. A sufficient number of examples from life can be given.

Mismatch of expectations

This is the first and most important reason for the appearance of cognitive dissonance. The discrepancy between expectations leads to the fact that a person begins to build in his head a search for understanding of some issue, to look for an appropriate explanation. And this cannot always be done in a rational way. If the phenomenon or event that occurs does not correspond to the expectations placed by the participants in the action or simply observers, then cognitive dissonance occurs. This phenomenon is also called mental shock. An example can be given as follows: in an exam, teachers always expect a better answer from a stronger student. If a mediocre student suddenly begins to show bright, extraordinary abilities, while an excellent student, for some unknown reason, cannot put two words together, then the certification commission is, to put it mildly, very surprised. This is how cognitive dissonance forms. His theory implies the presence of some kind of mental inconsistency, a disagreement in understanding the essence of things.

Difference of opinions

Such a phenomenon as a difference of opinions can also cause the formation of cognitive dissonance. The fact is that in a dispute situation, every person is inclined to consider himself right. This is why an opponent's theories are often perceived as incorrect and, in some cases, even unworthy of attention. In this way, people protect their personal space and preserve their individuality. Being true to your own opinion allows you to remain yourself and not adapt to your partner. The theory of cognitive dissonance includes many examples that show how difficult it is for people to come to terms with the presence of an opposing judgment.

The theory of cognitive dissonance itself implies some disagreement with the views and judgments of the opponent. That is, a person intentionally or unwittingly begins to speak out against his interlocutor. Even if there is no open conflict between them, tension in the interaction will still be felt. Some people for years do not express to each other the complaints that they carry in their hearts. This position allows them not to openly conflict and not express accumulated discontent until the last moment. Of course, this approach cannot be called correct. Rather, it helps to lose trust, relationships become dry and formal. An example would be a situation where partners protect their personal space and at the same time learn something completely unexpected about each other. Here the cognitive dissonance is manifested very clearly.

Deviation from generally accepted norms

In the public consciousness, moral standards are of great importance. When someone tries to speak out against social attitudes, people around them usually get shocked. It’s just that people’s consciousness is structured in such a way that it perceives only that information that it is able to comprehend, understand and accept. Any deviation from generally accepted norms is often perceived not just with hostility, but as something dangerous. People in most cases try to avoid unknown concepts. Subconsciously, their internal psychological defense mechanism is triggered. An example of cognitive dissonance in this case is the perception of homosexual behavior by others. Most people simply cannot perceive this phenomenon adequately. If this concerns their relatives, for many this circumstance is a reason for shame. People do not dare share such details about their relatives among their colleagues, fearing expressed misunderstanding and condemnation.

Social conflict

The theory of cognitive dissonance is extremely interesting to researchers in the field of self-improvement and personal growth. Modern psychological science examines this phenomenon from different angles, trying to understand its nature. Cognitive dissonance occurs due to social differences. Social inequality gives rise to many misunderstandings and open discontent. In an effort to take care of their own well-being, people sometimes easily forget about those around them.

Cognitive dissonance manifests itself in a certain way in everyday reality. This phenomenon occurs quite often in our lives. If people were more attentive even to their own feelings, they would be able to detect manifestations of some discrepancy between their own and other people's expectations. What are the ways of expressing the theory of cognitive dissonance?

Psychological discomfort

This phenomenon is a prerequisite for the appearance of cognitive dissonance. Psychological discomfort appears when a person is unable to satisfy his significant needs. The fact is that a person simply does not know how to cope with growing anxiety and despair. He makes some attempts to feel better, but this is not always successful. Psychological discomfort becomes a clear manifestation of the discrepancy between internal expectations and the efforts made. People most often do not even try to analyze what is really happening to them and do not understand their own feelings. Psychological discomfort often forces a person to look for some kind of justification for his actions, to rely on strangers. In difficult situations, almost everyone feels extremely insecure.

Feeling confused

Cognitive dissonance is one of those phenomena that often begins to control a person’s life. A person experiences a feeling of confusion when he is faced with a situation that is incomprehensible to him. Trying to solve it in his usual way, he often fails. That is why in a state of confusion it is so difficult to find the right solution. There may be a way out for everyone in their own direction. But when expectations do not meet, it is human nature to get lost. In some cases, faith in one's own prospects and capabilities is lost. The feeling of confusion in many cases does not allow achieving significant results. A person begins to feel a sense of self-doubt. Prospects and opportunities seem very vague, uncertain and even unrealistic. If every person learned to maintain a sense of inner balance, he would be able to feel better under any circumstances. A feeling of confusion often prevents us from experiencing the wonderful moments of life and getting closer to understanding the essence of our being.

Negative feelings

Not all feelings bring joy and happiness to a person. The emotional sphere is a system that has not yet been fully studied by leading experts in the field of psychology. It is known that positive emotions help prolong life, while negative feelings contribute to a deterioration in the quality of life. A person's state changes depending on the emotions he experiences. Negative feelings often create cognitive dissonance. This happens because emotions greatly influence the ability of people to hear and understand each other. There are enough examples in life of the great influence feelings have on the state of mind. A personality can fully develop only when it is not limited by its own emotions. Rejecting and rejecting something prevents you from getting closer to the desired result. The discrepancy between one's own expectations leads to internal conflict and does not allow the individual to feel happy and self-sufficient. The more a person tends to dwell on his own shortcomings, the more susceptible he is to the negative effects of stress.

Thus, cognitive dissonance is a phenomenon in which a person cannot feel whole and self-sufficient. The more surprise and negative impressions we experience at the moment of emotional shock, the more difficult it becomes to believe in what is happening and to try to find the right solution.