Name – Date – Course code
Cooper, J. (2007). Cognitive Dissonance (2nd ed., pp. 2-22). Sage Publishers.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781446214282.n1
Synopsis
The literature discusses how human cognition is inclined against inconsistencies and compensates for cognitive dissonance through self-deception techniques. Inconsistency brings a sense of agitation and makes the masses of men uncomfortable and suffers a compulsion to deal with the inconsistency employing self-deception and procrastination. Festinger asserts that cognitive dissonance is a compulsion that everyone tries to suppress. Festinger’s study on a doomsday cult began the new field of cognitive and discovered numerous parameters for cognitive dissonances, such as dissonance magnitude. Festinger discusses the methods of reducing dissonance by reducing the discrepancy between cognitions.
Key Concepts
- Cognitive Dissonance – The presence of conflicting thought patterns from what is expected. It raises psychological discomfort that results in a change in the belief system and the suppression of compulsions.
- Cognition- It is the ability of the psyche to possess knowledge through comprehension of facts. Cognitive processes are thinking, remembering, and problem-solving. Cognition forms the basis for language and problem-solving.
- Inconsistency- It has outcomes that do not conform with the initial expectations but change spontaneously. Festinger’s concept of Cognitive dissonance is built on the inconsistency people experience.
- Attitude Change- Is having an opportunistic evaluation of ideas or outcomes to suit your expectation. In the Cognitive dissonance, attitude change is implemented in the cognitive process to reduce dissonance.
- Discrepancy- is the incompatibility between concepts and cognition that defines the magnitude of dissonance. Reducing the discrepancy is the surest way of reducing the dissonance.
Key Quotes
- “Festinger’s insistence that cognitive dissonance was like a drive that needed to be reduced implied that people were going to have to find some way of resolving their inconsistencies. People do not just prefer eating over starving; we are driven to eat. Similarly, people who are in the throes of inconsistency in their social life to resolve that inconsistency.”(p.3)
- “The state of cognitive dissonance occurs when people believe that two of their psychological representations are inconsistent with each other. More formally, a pair of cognitions is inconsistent if one cognition follows from the obverse (opposite) of the other.” (p.6)
- Cognitive dissonance The state of cognitive dissonance occurs when people believe that two of their psychological representations are inconsistent with each other. More formally, a pair of cognitions is inconsistent if one cognition follows from the other’s obverse (opposite).
Essential Question
- Is it possible to control dissonance by reducing the discrepancies between cognitions?