Difference between revisions of "Cognitive dissonance"
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| − | '''Cognitive dissonance''' is | + | '''Cognitive dissonance''' is stress or discomfort caused by simultaneously holding contradictory ideas. |
| − | + | ===Examples of cognitive dissonance=== | |
| − | * | + | * A mother, who believes that her son is a good boy, learns that he has committed a serious crime; |
| − | + | * Claiming Global Warming is man-made and admonishing others for "not doing their part" while being hypocritically wasteful; | |
| − | * Claiming Global Warming is man-made and admonishing others for "not doing their part" while being hypocritically wasteful | + | * Railing against America and its government while simultaneously living in the country and reaping all the benefits of freedom and capitalism; |
| − | * Railing against America and its government while simultaneously living in the country and reaping all the benefits of freedom and capitalism | + | |
| + | ===Responses to cognitive dissonance=== | ||
| + | People respond to the uncomfortable feelings associated with cognitive dissonance in a number of ways, including: | ||
| + | * [[Resolution]]: Identifying the source of the contadiction and adjusting one one or both of the contradicting beliefs to eliminate the contadiction; | ||
| + | * [[Rationalization]]: Inventing faulty justifications in an effort to maintain both contradictory ideas as true; | ||
| + | * [[Denial]]: Denying the existance of a contradiction where one exists | ||
[[George Orwell]] famously discussed cognitive dissonance in his novel [[1984]], using the term [[doublethink]]. | [[George Orwell]] famously discussed cognitive dissonance in his novel [[1984]], using the term [[doublethink]]. | ||
Revision as of 23:02, September 26, 2008
Cognitive dissonance is stress or discomfort caused by simultaneously holding contradictory ideas.
Examples of cognitive dissonance
- A mother, who believes that her son is a good boy, learns that he has committed a serious crime;
- Claiming Global Warming is man-made and admonishing others for "not doing their part" while being hypocritically wasteful;
- Railing against America and its government while simultaneously living in the country and reaping all the benefits of freedom and capitalism;
Responses to cognitive dissonance
People respond to the uncomfortable feelings associated with cognitive dissonance in a number of ways, including:
- Resolution: Identifying the source of the contadiction and adjusting one one or both of the contradicting beliefs to eliminate the contadiction;
- Rationalization: Inventing faulty justifications in an effort to maintain both contradictory ideas as true;
- Denial: Denying the existance of a contradiction where one exists
George Orwell famously discussed cognitive dissonance in his novel 1984, using the term doublethink.