The Concept of Cognitive Dissonance in PsychologyReading passageCognitive dissonance is a

Understanding Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance is a psychological theory that describes the discomfort experienced when an individual holds two or more contradictory beliefs, values, or attitudes. This discomfort often leads to an alteration in one of the beliefs or behaviors to reduce the dissonance and restore harmony.

The theory, developed by Leon Festinger in the 1950s, suggests that people strive for internal consistency. When inconsistency (dissonance) is perceived, individuals are motivated to reduce it by changing their attitudes, beliefs, or actions, or by rationalizing the discrepancy.

Examples of Cognitive Dissonance

Alright, so today we're diving into cognitive dissonance. Remember when you bought that expensive gadget that wasn’t really necessary? That's a classic example. You knew it was costly and maybe not practical, but you justified the purchase by focusing on its cool features or the fact that it was on sale. This justification helps reduce the discomfort of your conflicting thoughts about spending too much versus owning something new and exciting.

Another example is when someone who values health starts smoking. Initially, they know smoking is harmful, so to reduce dissonance, they might convince themselves that it helps them relax or that they’ll quit soon. These justifications help align their behavior with their beliefs, creating a sense of harmony.

Speaking Task Instruction

Explain the concept from the reading and use the professor’s examples to show how it works. Preparation time: 30 seconds, Response time: 60 seconds.

Sample Student Response

Cognitive dissonance is when someone feels uncomfortable because they have conflicting beliefs or actions. In the lecture, the professor gave two examples. First, he mentioned buying an expensive gadget. People feel the gadget is unnecessary, but they justify it by saying it has great features, so they feel better about spending money. Second, he talked about smoking. A person who values health might smoke but says it helps them relax, reducing the conflict between their actions and beliefs. Overall, cognitive dissonance shows how we change beliefs or behaviors to feel comfortable again.