What Is One Way A Person Can Resolve Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance, a state of mental discomfort arising from conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes, can feel like an internal tug-of-war. When we hold two or more contradictory cognitions – thoughts, beliefs, or opinions – we experience tension, prompting us to seek ways to reduce this discomfort. One powerful method to resolve cognitive dissonance lies in modifying one or more of the conflicting cognitions to achieve a more harmonious and consistent internal state.

Understanding Cognitive Dissonance

Before diving into the resolution strategy, it's essential to grasp the core concept of cognitive dissonance. Leon Festinger, the psychologist who first proposed the theory, argued that we are motivated to maintain consistency among our cognitions. When inconsistency arises, it creates a state of psychological discomfort, which we are driven to alleviate.

Consider these scenarios:

Smoking: A smoker knows that smoking is harmful to their health (cognition 1), yet they continue to smoke (cognition 2). This creates dissonance because the belief about health clashes with the behavior of smoking.
Eating Meat: Someone who cares about animal welfare (cognition 1) regularly consumes meat (cognition 2). The conflict arises between their values and their actions.
Supporting a Politician: An individual supports a political candidate (cognition 1) but discovers the candidate has engaged in unethical behavior (cognition 2). This creates dissonance between their support and the candidate's actions.

The intensity of the dissonance depends on several factors, including the importance of the cognitions, the degree of discrepancy between them, and the number of conflicting cognitions. The more important the cognitions and the greater the inconsistency, the stronger the dissonance will be.

Resolving Dissonance by Modifying Cognitions

Modifying cognitions involves altering one or more of the conflicting thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes to reduce the inconsistency and restore psychological equilibrium. This can be achieved through various strategies, each targeting different aspects of the conflicting cognitions.

1. Changing Attitudes or Beliefs

One of the most direct ways to resolve cognitive dissonance is to change one's attitude or belief to align it with the conflicting behavior or cognition.

Example: The Smoking Dilemma: A smoker experiencing dissonance might change their belief about the harmful effects of smoking. They might downplay the risks by believing that the research is inconclusive, that they have good genes that protect them, or that the pleasure of smoking outweighs the potential health consequences. They might also convince themselves that they can quit anytime they want, even if they haven't taken concrete steps to do so.
Example: The Meat-Eating Moralist: Someone troubled by the ethics of eating meat might change their attitude towards animal welfare. They might convince themselves that animals are not capable of experiencing suffering in the same way humans do, or that their consumption of meat supports the local farming community, which they value. Alternatively, they might start buying meat only from farms that treat animals humanely, thus aligning their actions with their values.
Example: The Disillusioned Supporter: An individual who initially supported a politician might reduce dissonance by changing their attitude towards the politician's unethical behavior. They might rationalize the behavior by arguing that it was a one-time mistake, that the politician was under pressure, or that the benefits of the politician's policies outweigh the ethical lapse.

This strategy often involves rationalization, where individuals create justifications or excuses to explain away the inconsistency. While rationalization can effectively reduce dissonance, it can also lead to self-deception and distorted perceptions of reality.

2. Adding New Cognitions

Introducing new cognitions that support the conflicting behavior or attitude can also reduce dissonance. This involves finding additional reasons or justifications that make the behavior seem more consistent with one's existing beliefs.

Example: The Smoking Dilemma: A smoker might reduce dissonance by focusing on the social aspects of smoking. They might argue that smoking provides a social outlet, allows them to bond with friends, or helps them relax and cope with stress. These new cognitions provide additional reasons for smoking, making it seem more justifiable despite the health risks.
Example: The Meat-Eating Moralist: Someone concerned about animal welfare might justify eating meat by emphasizing its nutritional benefits. They might argue that meat is a crucial source of protein and essential nutrients that are difficult to obtain from other sources. This new cognition makes meat consumption seem more aligned with their concern for their own health and well-being.
Example: The Disillusioned Supporter: An individual might add new cognitions to support their continued support for the politician. They might emphasize the politician's positive qualities, such as their strong leadership skills, their commitment to economic growth, or their dedication to social justice. These new cognitions reinforce their initial support and reduce the dissonance caused by the unethical behavior.

Adding new cognitions can be a useful strategy, but it's important to ensure that the new cognitions are based on accurate information and not simply used as a way to avoid confronting the underlying inconsistency.

3. Reducing the Importance of Conflicting Cognitions

Another way to resolve cognitive dissonance is to downplay the importance of one or more of the conflicting cognitions. By minimizing the significance of the inconsistency, individuals can reduce the psychological discomfort it causes.

Example: The Smoking Dilemma: A smoker might reduce dissonance by minimizing the importance of health in their overall life. They might argue that happiness and enjoyment are more important than living a long life, or that everyone will die eventually, so there's no point in worrying about health risks.
Example: The Meat-Eating Moralist: Someone concerned about animal welfare might reduce dissonance by minimizing the importance of their ethical concerns. They might argue that animal suffering is an inevitable part of life, or that humans are entitled to use animals for their own benefit.
Example: The Disillusioned Supporter: An individual might reduce dissonance by minimizing the importance of the politician's unethical behavior. They might argue that it's a minor issue compared to the larger political landscape, or that all politicians are corrupt to some extent, so it's not worth getting upset about.

While reducing the importance of conflicting cognitions can be an effective way to alleviate dissonance, it can also lead to a diminished sense of personal responsibility and a disregard for important values.

4. Changing Behavior

Although the focus is on modifying cognitions, it's crucial to acknowledge that changing behavior is another powerful way to resolve cognitive dissonance. This involves altering one's actions to align with their beliefs or attitudes.

Example: The Smoking Dilemma: The most direct way for a smoker to resolve dissonance is to quit smoking. By changing their behavior, they eliminate the inconsistency between their knowledge of the health risks and their actions.
Example: The Meat-Eating Moralist: Someone concerned about animal welfare can resolve dissonance by adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet. This aligns their behavior with their values and eliminates the conflict between their concern for animals and their consumption of meat.
Example: The Disillusioned Supporter: An individual can resolve dissonance by withdrawing their support for the politician. This aligns their actions with their disapproval of the politician's unethical behavior.

Changing behavior can be challenging, especially when the behavior is deeply ingrained or provides some form of reward. However, it can be a more sustainable and ethical solution than simply modifying cognitions to justify inconsistent behavior.

Factors Influencing the Choice of Resolution Strategy

The specific strategy individuals choose to resolve cognitive dissonance depends on several factors, including:

The Strength of the Dissonance: The more intense the dissonance, the more motivated individuals will be to reduce it. Stronger dissonance may lead to more drastic changes in attitudes or behaviors.
The Availability of Resolution Strategies: Individuals are more likely to choose strategies that are readily available and easy to implement. For example, it might be easier to rationalize smoking than to quit altogether.
Personal Values and Beliefs: Individuals are more likely to choose strategies that align with their existing values and beliefs. For example, someone who strongly values honesty is less likely to resolve dissonance by deceiving themselves.
Social Support: The presence of social support can influence the choice of resolution strategy. If an individual is surrounded by smokers, they might be less likely to quit smoking, as this would require them to deviate from the group norm.

Potential Drawbacks of Modifying Cognitions

While modifying cognitions can be an effective way to reduce cognitive dissonance, it's important to be aware of the potential drawbacks:

Self-Deception: Rationalizing and justifying inconsistent behavior can lead to self-deception and a distorted perception of reality.
Moral Compromise: Reducing the importance of conflicting cognitions can lead to a diminished sense of personal responsibility and a compromise of important values.
Resistance to Change: Constantly modifying cognitions to avoid confronting inconsistencies can make it more difficult to change behavior in the long run.
Cognitive Biases: The process of modifying cognitions can be influenced by cognitive biases, such as confirmation bias, which leads individuals to seek out information that confirms their existing beliefs and ignore information that contradicts them.

Alternative Strategies for Resolving Cognitive Dissonance

Besides modifying cognitions, other strategies can be employed to alleviate cognitive dissonance:

Reducing the Importance of the Issue: Similar to reducing the importance of conflicting cognitions, individuals can minimize the overall significance of the issue causing dissonance. For example, someone experiencing dissonance about their career choice might convince themselves that work is not the most important thing in life.
Increasing the Number of Consonant Cognitions: This involves seeking out information or experiences that support one's existing beliefs or behaviors. For example, someone who bought an expensive car might read reviews that praise the car's performance and features.
Changing the Behavior: As previously mentioned, altering one's actions to align with their beliefs or attitudes is a direct way to resolve dissonance.
Trivialization: This involves minimizing the inconsistency between the cognitions by arguing that the issue is not important enough to warrant concern.
Denial: Refusing to acknowledge the inconsistency between the cognitions.

Conclusion

Cognitive dissonance is an inherent part of the human experience. When faced with conflicting beliefs or actions, our minds naturally seek ways to restore equilibrium. Modifying cognitions, whether through changing attitudes, adding new justifications, or reducing the importance of conflicting ideas, stands as a prevalent strategy. However, it's crucial to be mindful of the potential pitfalls of this approach, such as self-deception and moral compromise.

Ultimately, resolving cognitive dissonance requires self-awareness and a willingness to confront inconsistencies. While modifying cognitions can provide temporary relief, a more sustainable solution often involves aligning one's actions with their deeply held values and beliefs. By striving for consistency between what we think, what we say, and what we do, we can cultivate a more authentic and fulfilling life. The next time you feel that internal tug-of-war, consider not just how you can change your thoughts, but also how you can change your actions to create true harmony within yourself.