Mental Conflict: Principle, Real-life Demonstrations
In the realm of psychology, cognitive dissonance stands out as a significant concept that sheds light on the internal mental conflicts we often experience. This phenomenon, first introduced by Leon Festinger in 1957, is characterised by the emotional discomfort felt when our beliefs and actions contradict each other.
Cognitive dissonance can manifest in various scenarios, such as an environmentalist working for a company with harmful environmental practices, or a smoker who is aware of the harmful effects of smoking but continues to smoke. The emotional toll that cognitive dissonance takes is demonstrated by feelings of guilt, irritation, regret, anxiety, or frustration.
To alleviate this discomfort, people may employ various strategies. These include reevaluating attitudes and beliefs, adjusting behaviour, looking for consistency, and asking for help. Open communication, establishing clear norms and values, positive reinforcement, change management, normalising discomfort, encouraging reflection, self-compassion, setting realistic goals, and mindfulness and stress management are among the effective strategies to reduce cognitive dissonance.
Forced compliance behaviour, a form of cognitive dissonance, occurs when someone feels under compulsion to act contrary to their beliefs or principles. The study "Cognitive Consequences of Forced Compliance" by Festinger and Carlsmith (1959) indicated that those who acted in a counter-attitude manner felt more cognitive dissonance, which caused them to change their beliefs to match their conduct.
Cognitive dissonance can also occur when a person's behaviour deviates from their morals, causing them to feel uncomfortable and need to make amends. The degree of emotional pain depends on how important the beliefs or principles are at stake and how much they differ.
The psychological underpinnings of dissonance reduction strategies have been studied, highlighting the fundamental causes of our acts and the complex relationships that exist between our feelings, convictions, and actions. Cognitive dissonance theory has been used to explain phenomena such as prejudice, discrimination, and incentive and decision-making systems.
In a seminal study published in the Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology in 1959, Festinger and Carlsmith explored forced compliance behaviour. The study showed that individuals who participated in an experiment and were paid a small amount to lie about the experiment's purpose experienced significant cognitive dissonance and subsequently changed their beliefs to align with their conduct.
The book "Cognitive Dissonance: 50 Years of a Classic Theory" by Joel Cooper delves into the development, applications, and history of cognitive dissonance theory over the past 50 years. The book emphasises the theory's impact on various sectors, including business, advertising, political and social activism.
In conclusion, reducing cognitive dissonance involves a combination of open dialogue, empathetic understanding, gradual adjustment, self-compassion, and reflective practices that create alignment between beliefs and behaviours, thereby decreasing internal mental conflict. By understanding and addressing cognitive dissonance, we can foster personal growth, make more informed decisions, and lead more harmonious lives.
- Embracing mindfulness and stress management techniques can help individuals navigate the internal conflicts caused by cognitive dissonance, promoting self-awareness and mental health.
- The theory of cognitive dissonance, originally proposed by Leon Festinger in 1957, has been extensively studied in the field of science, shedding light on our complex relationships between feelings, convictions, and actions.
- To reduce cognitive dissonance caused by behaviors that deviate from moral principles, self-compassion, adjusting behavior, and establishing clear norms and values are effective strategies.
- Encouraging emotional intelligence, open communication, and reflection in health-and-wellness and mental-health settings can help individuals manage cognitive dissonance and promote transformation towards a more harmonious life.
