Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Cognitive Dissonance Theory Definition

This situation was an actual experiment conducted by Leon Festinger. His prediction actually lined up with the results, that the members of the group would not admit defeat, but rather bolster their attempts to gain new members. Why did Festinger predict this? Why did the group act like this? Welcome to cognitive dissonance.

So in the alien rescue example, when the members of the group realized the aliens weren’t actually coming down to save them from Earth’s doom, they entered a state of discomfort. In order to reduce that discomfort, they started to recruit more members. These actions made the members of that group feel better about themselves and that their prior actions were actually justified and not a silly waste of time.

So what happens when you’re in a state of dissonance and your thoughts (or beliefs) and behaviors don’t align? There are a handful of possibilities for what happens in a state of dissonance.

Fig. 1 Boring work. pixabay.com.

Signs of Cognitive Dissonance

Signs of cognitive dissonance can look different depending on the person and how they express themselves, but there are some universal signs to look for.

The first sign of cognitive dissonance is discomfort.

Another sign of cognitive dissonance is justification of your actions.

Other signs of dissonance are:

• Lying to others as self-defense.
• Questioning own actions as behavior did not match initial attitude.
• Flat-out avoiding the problem at hand.

Cognitive Dissonance Theory Example

In 1959, Festinger and Carlsmith conducted an experiment that serves as a good example of cognitive dissonance. They had participants come in and complete a boring task. In the control group, the participants evaluated the completed task and then left. However, in the experimental groups, they had the participants inform the next participants (actually confederates) about the experiment.

Some of the participants in the experimental groups were paid $20, while others were paid $1. The experimenters found that the participants who were paid $20 were upfront about the task being boring and that they would not do it again, while those who received $1 told the confederates that the task was fun and they would do it again. Any thoughts on why this is?

It turns out that the $20 was sufficient justification for the participants to complete the boring task and be honest about how mundane it was. However the $1 reward was not sufficient justification, so the participants in that condition had cognitive dissonance. To resolve this dissonance, they changed their attitudes to match their behavior and told the next “participant” that the experiment was actually worthwhile.

Fig. 2 How much money would stop your dissonance? pixabay.com.

Criticism of Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Although cognitive dissonance provides explanations for actions, there have been criticisms about the true nature of this theory. There is a stark lack of acknowledgement of cultural differences when it comes to cognitive dissonance. As with most theories in social psychology, location and culture are crucial factors in the results of an experiment.

Leon Festinger's Theory

Leon Festinger was an American psychologist whose experiments were conducted in the United States. Other prominent cognitive dissonance experiments were also conducted in the United States, thereby posing the question: what would happen if these experiments took place in another country with another culture? Festinger was able to show that cognitive dissonance exists in Western culture, but what about a culture that doesn’t align with American values?

Concerns with the Experiments

Additionally, researchers have posed concerns about the actual experiments themselves, questioning whether the experiments were truly measuring this dissonance. How do you standardize this feeling? Is it really possible to elicit this type of response in such a controlled environment, or is it only felt in a controlled environment and not in the real world?

Other critics suggest that researchers need to more thoroughly define critical elements of this theory to bolster its credibility. Elements mentioned include the dissonant state that one enters, the inconsistency between thought and behavior, and the regulation strategies once someone enters the dissonance state.

History of Cognitive Dissonance Theory

As you might be able to tell from the multiple experiments by Leon Festinger conducted on cognitive dissonance, he was the leader in the development of this theory. In the early 1950s, he began to postulate theories about this concept and started conducting experiments to explore these. Throughout the next couple of decades, he continued his experiments, giving us the basis for cognitive dissonance.

Cognitive Dissonance Theory in Communication

As the theory has developed, it has also been extrapolated to all aspects of life outside of experiments in social psychology. In the realm of communication, cognitive dissonance explains why some people may lie. These people are not lying to harm the person with whom they are speaking, but rather lying to justify their actions to themselves. Although there is no intention of harm, people still need to be cognizant of their own cognitive dissonance in relation to when they are communicating with others.

Additionally, it is also applicable for salespeople communicating their pitches. When they are trying to sell a new product to an audience, those people might experience cognitive dissonance if the product is one that they do not normally purchase. These professionals need to be able to work through their audience's cognitive dissonance to make an effective pitch.