Cognitive
Dissonance
David Shields, M.S.
What is Cognitive
Dissonance
• Definition: When a person holds contradicting or
inconsistent attitudes, beliefs or behaviors.
• Think of it like a miss-match between attitudes or
behaviors.
• Perhaps an individual has a particular point of view
but acts in a way that is contradictory.
What is Cognitive
Dissonance
• When attitudes and behaviors match.
Attitude
Behavior
I should
do all I
can to
be
healthy
I eat
healthy
foods
and
exercise
What is Cognitive
Dissonance
• When attitudes and behaviors do not match.
Attitude
Behavior
What is Cognitive
Dissonance
• Another way to visualize: Attitudes and behaviors
match.
Attitude
Behavior
What is Cognitive
Dissonance
• Another way to visualize: Attitudes and behaviors
don't match.
Attitude
Behavior
What is the result?
• We have an inherent need to feel that we are
consistent and reliable people.
o These people are easy to predict.
o Would you feel more comfortable approaching your professor if you
could predict their response?
• Dissonance leads to negative emotional reactions.
o Like anxiety, fear, depression...
o Because we are acting in inconsistent ways that go against our own
perspectives.
Example
• Attitude: You believe that smoking is dangerous
and bad for your health.
• Behavior: You smoke a pack a day.
• Result: You experience dissonance because there is
an imbalance.
What is the result?
• The severity of the dissonance will depend on how
much the behavior deviates from the attitude.
• A large deviation results in more disharmony and
more dissonance.
Attitude
Behavior
Example
• Attitude: You are adamantly against alcohol
because your child was killed by a drunk driver.
• Behavior: You turn to alcohol and begin to
consume way to much.
• Result: Guilt and shame that you have turned to
something you are so fervently against.
Practical examples
• We react badly to officer-involved shootings.
o We expect police to protect us, and so a shooting does not match this
belief.
• We are less distressed at gang related shootings.
o We expect gangs to be violent to each other, so it matches our attitude.
Practical examples
• Supporting the assistance of refugees but also
supporting the closure of borders.
o Two conflicting attitudes result in dissonance.
• Politicians may experience dissonance.
o Torn between serving their constituents and upholding their promises, and
voting in concordance with their part.
How do we reduce it?
1. Change the conflicting behavior to match the
attitude.
2. Change the conflicting attitude to match the
behavior.
3. Form new ways of thinking (cognitions) to justify the
behavior.
Change the behavior
• Change the conflicting behavior to match the
attitude.
• Attitude: Smoking is bad.
• Behavior: Stop smoking.
o Result: Dissonance reduced.
• Attitude: Speeding is bad.
• Behavior: Stop speeding.
o Result: Dissonance reduced.
Change the Attitude
• Change the conflicting attitude to match the
behavior.
• Attitude: Smoking isn't as bad as everyone makes
out.
• Behavior: Keep smoking.
o Result: Dissonance reduced.
• Attitude: Speeding isn’t bad.
• Behavior: Keep speeding.
o Result: Dissonance reduced.
Form new cognitions
• Form new ways of thinking (cognitions) to justify the
behavior.
• Attitude: Smoking "light" cigarettes will reduce my
risk enough.
• Behavior: Keep smoking.
o Result: Dissonance reduced.
• Attitude: Going just over the speed limit isn't bad.
• Behavior: Keep speeding.
o Result: Dissonance reduced.
Form new cognitions
• This is what happens in Aesop's fable regarding the
fox and vines.
• The fox formed a new cognition that justified
walking away from the grapes.
Give it a try
• We have four examples of people experiencing
cognitive dissonance.
• You will have one minute to identify three ways in
which they can reduce that dissonance.
• Timer
Example 1
• Martin believes that consuming alcohol is bad for
him. He knows that it can lead to health issues like
liver disease. Yet he continues to drink alcohol with
his meals, goes to the bar each night, and has a
drink before going to bed.
Example 1
• Martin believes that consuming alcohol is bad for
him. He knows that it can lead to health issues like
liver disease. Yet he continues to drink alcohol with
his meals, goes to the bar each night, and has a
drink before going to bed.
• Change the behavior: Stop drinking.
• Change the attitude: Drinking isn't that bad.
• Form new cognitions: Can only drink at the bar.
Example 2
• Lisa is fervently against the death penalty. She
believes that it is cruel and unusual punishment. She
is campaigning for a criminal to receive the death
penalty after her friend was murdered.
Example 2
• Lisa is fervently against the death penalty. She
believes that it is cruel and unusual punishment. She
is campaigning for a criminal to receive the death
penalty after her friend was murdered.
• Change the behavior: Stop pushing for the death
penalty.
• Change the behavior: The death penalty is actually
a good punishment.
• Form new cognitions: the penalty is justified in
certain situations.
Example 3
• Jack is an environmental activist. He thinks that
everyone should do their very best to look after the
environment. However, Jack drives a large pickup
truck that gets less than 10mpg.
Example 3
• Jack is an environmental activist. He thinks that
everyone should do their very best to look after the
environment. However, Jack drives a large pickup
truck that gets less than 10mpg.
• Change behavior: trade his truck for a Prius.
• Change his attitude: decide the environment
doesn’t need protecting.
• Form new cognitions: Use public transportation
during the week and drive the truck on the
weekend.
Example 4
• Maria is grossly overweight. She knows that she is at
risk for serious health complications if she does not
change her diet. She cannot stop eating junk food
and it leaves her feeling guilty.
Example 4
• Maria is grossly overweight. She knows that she is at
risk for serious health complications if she does not
change her diet. She cannot stop eating junk food
and it leaves her feeling guilty.
• Change behavior: Stop eating junk food.
• Change attitude: Decide that food is not causing
her health problems.
• Form new cognitions: Keep eating junk food, but
eat smaller portions.
Other real-world
examples
• Addicts will experience it when they have struggled
a relapse:
o Attitude: Drugs are bad for me.
o Behavior: I caved to my craving.
o Result: I can't believe that I relapsed. I feel guilty and ashamed.
• Cognitive Dissonance even occurs in the United
States Supreme Court!
Other real-world
examples
• Recent research has shown that Supreme Court
Judges are more likely to pen an explanation if they
vote in a way that is inconsistent with their attitudes
or beliefs.
• A judge can reduce their dissonance by providing
an explanation that justifies their vote.
Review
• Cognitive Dissonance occurs when someone
behaves in ways that does not match their
attitudes, or when someone holds contradicting
beliefs.
• This causes disharmony, resulting in negative
emotional reactions.
• We can respond in several different ways.
1. Change the behavior to match the attitude.
2. Change the attitude to match the behavior.
3. Form new ways of thinking to justify the behavior.