In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is the perception of contradictory information. Relevant items of information include a person's actions, feelings, ideas, beliefs, values, and things in the environment.

1. Presented By: Ahmad Tashfeen
Group: GM-4-19

2. *
*What is Cognitive Dissonance?
*History of Cognitive Dissonace!
*Experience Cognitive Dissonance
*Causes of Cognitive Dissonance
*What Influences Cognitive Dissonance?
*Impact of Cognitive Dissonance
*Dealing With Cognitive Dissonance
*Potential Pitfalls of Cognitive Dissonance

3. *
*The term cognitive dissonance is used to describe
the mental discomfort that results from holding
two conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes. People
tend to seek consistency in
their attitudes and perceptions, so this conflict
causes feelings of unease or discomfort.
*This inconsistency between what people believe
and how they behave motivates people to engage
in actions that will help minimize feelings of
discomfort. People attempt to relieve this tension
in different ways, such as by rejecting, explaining
away, or avoiding new information.

4. *
*Leon Festinger first proposed the theory of cognitive
dissonance centered on how people try to reach internal
consistency.3
He suggested that people have an inner need
to ensure that their beliefs and behaviors are consistent.
Inconsistent or conflicting beliefs lead to disharmony, which
people strive to avoid.
*In his 1957 book, "A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance,"
Festinger explained, "Cognitive dissonance can be seen as an
antecedent condition which leads to activity oriented
toward dissonance reduction just as hunger leads toward
activity oriented toward hunger-reduction. It is a very
different motivation from what psychologists are used to
dealing with but, as we shall see, nonetheless powerful."

5. *
*Everyone experiences cognitive dissonance to some degree, but
that doesn't mean that it is always easy to recognize. Some signs
that what you are feeling might be related to dissonance
include:
*Feeling uncomfortable before doing something or making a
decision
*Trying to justify or rationalize a decision that you've made or an
action you have taken
*Feeling embarrassed or ashamed about something you've done
and trying to hide your actions from other people
*Experiencing guilt or regret about something you've done in the
past
*Doing things because of social pressure or a fear of missing out
(FOMO), even if it wasn't something you wanted to do

6. *
There are a number of different situations that can create
conflicts that lead to cognitive dissonance.
*Forced Compliance
Sometimes you might find yourself engaging in behaviors that are
opposed to your own beliefs due to external expectations, often
for work, school, or a social situation.1
This might involve going
along with something due to peer pressure or doing something at
work to avoid getting fired.
*New Information
Sometimes learning new information can lead to feelings of
cognitive dissonance. For example, if you engage in a behavior
that you later learn is harmful, it can lead to feelings of
discomfort. People sometimes deal with this either by finding
ways to justify their behaviors or findings ways to discredit or
ignore new information.

7. *
*Decisions
People make decisions, both large and small, on a
daily basis. When faced with two similar choices,
people often are left with feelings of dissonance
because both options are equally appealing.
Once a choice has been made, however, people need
to find a way to reduce these feelings of discomfort.
People accomplish this by justifying why their choice
was the best option so that they can believe that
they made the right decision.

8. *
*The degree of dissonance people experience can depend on a
few different factors, including how highly they value a
particular belief and the degree to which their beliefs are
inconsistent.
*The overall strength of the dissonance can also be influenced
by several factors, including:2
*The importance attached to each belief. Cognitions that are
more personal, such as beliefs about the self, and highly
valued tend to result in greater dissonance.
*The number of dissonant beliefs. The more dissonant
(clashing) thoughts you have the greater the strength of the
dissonance.
*Cognitive dissonance can often have a powerful influence on
our behaviors and actions. It doesn't just influence how you
feel—it also motivates you to take action to reduce feelings
of discomfort.

9. *
* Cognitive dissonance can make people feel uneasy and uncomfortable,
particularly if the disparity between their beliefs and behaviors involves
something that is central to their sense of self. For example, behaving in ways
that are not aligned with your personal values may result in intense feelings of
discomfort. Your behavior contradicts not just the beliefs you have about the
world, but also the beliefs that you have about yourself.
* This discomfort can manifest itself in a variety of ways. People may feel:
* Anxiety
* Embarrassment
* Regret
* Sadness
* Shame
* Stress
* Cognitive dissonance can even influence how people feel about and view
themselves, leading to negative feelings of self-esteem and self-worth.

10. *
* Because people want to avoid this discomfort, cognitive dissonance can
have a wide range of effects. Dissonance can play a role in how people
act, think, and make decisions. They may engage in behaviors or adopt
attitudes to help relieve the discomfort caused by the conflict.
* Some things that a person might do to cope with these feelings include:
* Adopting beliefs or ideas to help justify or explain away the conflict
between their beliefs or behaviors. This can sometimes involve blaming
other people or outside factors.
* Hiding their beliefs or behaviors from other people. People may feel
ashamed of their conflicting beliefs and behaviors, so hiding the
disparity from others can help minimize feelings of shame and guilt.
* Only seeking out information that confirms their existing beliefs. This
phenomenon, known as the confirmation bias, affects the ability to
think critically about a situation but helps minimize feelings of
dissonance.

11. *
* When there are conflicts between cognitions (thoughts, beliefs, opinions), people
will take steps to reduce the dissonance and feelings of discomfort. They can go
about doing this a few different ways, such as:
* Adding more supportive beliefs that outweigh dissonant beliefs. People who
learn that greenhouse emissions result in global warming might experience
feelings of dissonance if they drive a gas-guzzling vehicle. In order to reduce this
dissonance, they may seek out new information that overrides the belief that
greenhouse gasses contribute to global warming.
* Reducing the importance of the conflicting belief. A man who cares about his
health might be disturbed to learn that sitting for long periods of time during the
day is linked to a shortened lifespan. Since he has to work all day in an office and
spends a great deal of time sitting, it is difficult to change his behavior. To deal
with the feelings of discomfort, he might instead find some way of rationalizing
the conflicting cognition. He might justify his sedentary behavior by saying that
his other healthy behaviors—like eating sensibly and occasionally exercising—
make up for his largely sedentary lifestyle.
* Changing your belief. Changing the conflicting cognition is one of the most
effective ways of dealing with dissonance, but it is also one of the most difficult,
particularly in the case of deeply held values and beliefs, such as religious or
political leanings.

12. *
* Sometimes, the ways that people resolve cognitive dissonance can contribute to
unhealthy behaviors or poor decisions.
* In "A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance," Leon Festinger, the psychologist who first
described this phenomenon, gave an example of how a person might deal with
dissonance related to a health behavior by discussing individuals who continue to
smoke, even though they know it is bad for their health.
* There are a few ways that a person might resolve this dissonance:
* According to Festinger, a person might decide that they value smoking more than
they value health, deeming the behavior "worth it" in terms of risks versus
rewards.2
* Another way to deal with this dissonance is to minimize potential drawbacks. The
smoker might convince themselves that the negative health effects have been
overstated. They might also assuage their health concerns by believing that they
cannot avoid every possible risk out there.2
* Festinger also suggested that people might try to convince themselves that if
they do stop smoking, they will then gain weight, which also presents health
risks. By using such explanations, the smoker is able to reduce the dissonance and
continue the behavior.

13. *
*Cognitive dissonance plays a role in many value
judgments, decisions, and evaluations. Becoming
aware of how conflicting beliefs impact the decision-
making process is a great way to improve your ability
to make faster and more accurate choices.4
*Mismatches between your beliefs and your actions can
lead to feelings of discomfort (and, sometimes, coping
choices that have negative impacts), but such feelings
can also sometimes lead to change and growth.

14. *
*https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-cognitive-
dissonance-2795012
*Cancino-Montecinos S, Björklund F, Lindholm T. Dissonance
reduction as emotion regulation: Attitude change is related to
positive emotions in the induced compliance paradigm. PLoS
One. 2018;13(12):e0209012.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0209012
*Festinger L. A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. Stanford
University Press; 1957.
*Vaidis DC, Bran A. Respectable challenges to respectable
theory: Cognitive dissonance theory requires
conceptualization clarification and operational tools. Front
Psychol. 2019;10:1189. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01189
*Hasan U. Cognitive dissonance and its impact on consumer
buying behaviour. IOSR Journal of Business and Management.
2012;1(4):7-12. doi: 10.9790/487x-0140712