On another thread you said:



What is cognitive dissonance and what does it look like on someone?

I found your post very interesting.

Thanks Heartmending I really appreciate it!

Gentle bump for heartmending (in case you come 'round tonight)

Here I am! At your command!

I'm not always very good at explaining concepts, so let me share someone else's explanation:
__________________________

Cognitive Dissonance


Explanations > Theories > Cognitive Dissonance

Description | Research | Example | So What? | See also | References



Description
This is the feeling of uncomfortable tension which comes from holding two conflicting thoughts in the mind at the same time.

Dissonance increases with:

The importance of the subject to us.
How strongly the dissonant thoughts conflict.
Our inability to rationalize and explain away the conflict.
Dissonance is often strong when we believe something about ourselves and then do something against that belief. If I believe I am good but do something bad, then the discomfort I feel as a result is cognitive dissonance.

Cognitive dissonance is a very powerful motivator which will often lead us to change one or other of the conflicting belief or action. The discomfort often feels like a tension between the two opposing thoughts. To release the tension we can take one of three actions:

Change our behavior.
Justify our behavior by changing the conflicting cognition.
Justify our behavior by adding new cognitions.
Dissonance is most powerful when it is about our self-image. Feelings of foolishness, immorality and so on (including internal projections during decision-making) are dissonance in action.

If an action has been completed and cannot be undone, then the after-the-fact dissonance compels us to change our beliefs. If beliefs are moved, then the dissonance appears during decision-making, forcing us to take actions we would not have taken before.

Cognitive dissonance appears in virtually all evaluations and decisions and is the central mechanism by which we experience new differences in the world. When we see other people behave differently to our images of them, when we hold any conflicting thoughts, we experience dissonance.

Dissonance increases with the importance and impact of the decision, along with the difficulty of reversing it. Discomfort about making the wrong choice of car is bigger than when choosing a lamp.

Note: Self-Perception Theory gives an alternative view.

Research
Festinger first developed this theory in the 1950s to explain how members of a cult who were persuaded by their leader, a certain Mrs Keech, that the earth was going to be destroyed on 21st December and that they alone were going to be rescued by aliens, actually increased their commitment to the cult when this did not happen (Festinger himself had infiltrated the cult, and would have been very surprised to meet little green men). The dissonance of the thought of being so stupid was so great that instead they revised their beliefs to meet with obvious facts: that the aliens had, through their concern for the cult, saved the world instead.

In a more mundane experiment, Festinger and Carlsmith got students to lie about a boring task. Those who were paid $1 felt uncomfortable lying.

Example
Smokers find all kinds of reasons to explain away their unhealthy habit. The alternative is to feel a great deal of dissonance.

So what?
Using it
Cognitive dissonance is central to many forms of persuasion to change beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviors. The tension can be injected suddenly or allowed to build up over time. People can be moved in many small jumps or one large one.

Defending
When you start feeling uncomfortable, stop and see if you can find the inner conflict. Then notice how that came about. If it was somebody else who put that conflict there, you can decide not to play any more with them.

See also
Consistency Theory, Counter-Attitudinal Advocacy, External Justification, Insufficient Punishment, Post-Decision Dissonance, Self-Perception Theory

http://tip.psychology.org/festinge.html, http://www.ithaca.edu/faculty/stephens/cdback.html

References
Festinger (1957), Festinger and Carlsmith (1959)

____________
I hope this is somewhat helpful!

Thanks heartmending...fascinating isn't it that people actually change their beliefs when they have done something which cannot be undone...or to prevent feeling foolish.

I am just learning a little bit about psychology and found what you said interesting.

Thank you!

Thank you for asking! It's always good for me to get a refresher course on something I've learned. Reading about the concept of cognitive dissonance reminded me of some aspects of it that I had forgotten.

I think that cognitive dissonance accounts for much of the "fog" and "alien species" situations that come up with a WS. If one engages in behaviors that contradict one's beliefs, either the belief has to change, or the behavior. If neither changes, dissonance comes on board big time! When a deeply held belief is involved (especially about one's self), it makes reaching resolution...relief...even more difficult. Thus the "Alien-Fog" Syndrome!

We human beings are a fascinating species...for the postive and negative. It's been my experience that what I once thought was cut and dried, often has a lot more "story" behind it. For me, it makes forgiveness easier to grasp.

Have fun learning about psychology! Just keep in mind, it's about a continuum of the intensity and frequency of certain symptom/behaviors that is used to evaluate "health" or "pathology". Most of us experience some degree of "symptoms". For example, most people experience "anger" at some point in time. Often this is in response to a violation of one's boundaries, rights, needs, etc. If you slide to the end of the continuum that is at a "rage" level, with no obvious antecedents, however, this can be indicative of pathology. If you head down to the opposite end...which could be total passivity, or maybe even passive-aggressive behavior, this,too, can be reflective of unhealthy functioning.

One of the first things our psych professors warned us about was that...at one time or another...we would be convinced that we had almost every psychological disturbance that existed! I guess this is quite typical for beginning medical students, too!

Aren't we humans just wonderful! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

This is what caught my attention - if neither the belief or behavior changes (they are in opposition), dissonance happens.

Would this look like depression/anger?

I know I behaved in a way a couple of months ago which goes against my self-concept and I had a very hard time coping with the fact I behaved in this way. It caused acute upset for me...so we then must get to self-forgiveness to feel peace again?

This could very easily show up as depression or anger. It's the stirring up, the imbalance of an energy system (psychological, spiritual "energy"). If the anger goes inward...it's depression.....outward....aggression towards others. Either can be an attempt to shift energy and re-establish equilibirum. It's when we get "stuck" in either space that can be a problem.

Assuming you've stopped the behavior, and maintained your original belief/value, it gets down to self-forgiveness. One can remember a "mis"-behavior (a missed congruent behavior)as a lesson to prevent future misbehavior. That doesn't mean you have to punish yourself eternally by witholding self-forgiveness. That will destroy your ability to love in the long run. Loving yourself, loving others...Is that not what we're here on this planet to learn? That has to include forgiveness, or none of us would reach a loving state. IMHO.

By the way, this is a lesson I constantly work on! Easier said than done for me. Thanks again, for the reminder!

Exactly, and I think it has to start with self-forgiveness, and before we can accomplish this we have to take a very honest inventory of ourselves and our own mistakes. When we have done this and forgiven ourself, we are then able to forgive others.

It is very important that this is part of Plan A...to me this is what Plan A is really about. When you have reached this state of forgiveness/peace Plan B (if necessary) would be much easier and much more effective.


I wish this forum focused a little bit more on self-change, with less focus on what the WS is up to. What they are up to should be irrelevant at this stage...

It should all be about oneself and personal change/growth. This is where strength would come from.