Cognitive Dissonance: Etymology, Meanings and Concept
Etymology/Term:
The term “cognitive dissonance” originated from the field of psychology, introduced by Leon Festinger in 1957. It stems from the Latin word “cognitio,” meaning knowledge, and “dissonare,” meaning to be inconsistent or conflicting. In essence, cognitive dissonance refers to the discomfort or psychological tension that arises when individuals hold two or more contradictory beliefs, values, or attitudes simultaneously.
Meanings and Concept:
- Psychological Discomfort: It denotes the uneasy mental state when individuals encounter conflicting cognitions, causing discomfort and a desire for resolution.
- Inconsistent Beliefs: It occurs when a person holds beliefs or attitudes that are incompatible with each other, leading to a sense of internal conflict.
- Behavior-Attitude Mismatch: It can arise when an individual’s actions contradict their established attitudes or beliefs, prompting a need for alignment.
- Resolution Mechanisms: Individuals may employ various strategies to resolve it, such as altering beliefs, acquiring new information, or minimizing the importance of the conflicting elements.
- Impact on Decision-Making: The concept plays a significant role in understanding decision-making processes, as individuals seek consistency and may make choices to alleviate cognitive dissonance.
- Persuasion and Influence: It is often leveraged in persuasive communication, where introducing conflicting information can motivate individuals to reassess their beliefs and attitudes.
- Real-Life Applications: The concept is applicable in various real-life scenarios, from consumer behavior and marketing strategies to interpersonal relationships and ideological shifts.
Understanding it provides insights into the complexities of human cognition and the ways individuals strive for internal harmony amid conflicting beliefs and attitudes.
Cognitive Dissonance: Definition of a Theoretical Term
Cognitive dissonance, a theoretical term in psychology, encapsulates the psychological discomfort experienced when individuals hold conflicting beliefs, attitudes, or values. Originating from the work of Leon Festinger in 1957, it signifies the internal tension arising from the inconsistency between cognitive elements. This concept elucidates the cognitive processes involved in resolving such conflicts, influencing decision-making, behavior modification, and the overall dynamics of human thought and perception.
Cognitive Dissonance: Theorists, Works and Argument
| Theorist | Work | Argument |
| Leon Festinger | A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance (1957) | Introduced the concept of cognitive dissonance, emphasizing the discomfort individuals experience when holding conflicting beliefs. |
| Elliot Aronson | The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance: A Current Perspective (1969) | Expanded upon Festinger’s theory, exploring applications in self-perception, attitude change, and the role of it in shaping behavior. |
| Jack Brehm | Postdecision Changes in the Desirability of Alternatives (1956) | Contributed to the understanding of dissonance by investigating the impact of decision-making on the perceived desirability of chosen and unchosen alternatives. |
| Leon Festinger and James Carlsmith | Cognitive Consequences of Forced Compliance (1959) | Conducted influential experiments, such as the “$1 vs. $20” study, demonstrating how individuals resolve dissonance after engaging in counter-attitudinal behavior. |
| Daryl Bem | Self-Perception: An Alternative Interpretation of Cognitive Dissonance Phenomena (1967) | Presented the self-perception theory as an alternative explanation to dissonance, suggesting that individuals infer their attitudes by observing their own behavior. |
Cognitive Dissonance: Major Characteristics
- Conflicting Beliefs:
- Individuals experience dissonance when they hold contradictory beliefs or attitudes, causing discomfort.
- Need for Consistency:
- There is a psychological drive to resolve cognitive dissonance by seeking internal consistency among one’s beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.
- Resolution Strategies:
- People employ various strategies, such as changing beliefs, acquiring new information, or minimizing the importance of conflicting elements, to alleviate dissonance.
- Impact on Decision-Making:
- It influences decision-making processes, as individuals strive to align their choices with their existing beliefs to reduce internal conflict.
- Behavior-Attitude Mismatch:
- When an individual’s actions conflict with their attitudes or beliefs, cognitive dissonance arises, prompting the need for alignment between behavior and cognition.
Examples from Literature:
- “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoevsky:
- In Dostoevsky’s novel, Raskolnikov commits murder, leading to it as he grapples with conflicting beliefs about morality and the justification for his actions.
- “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee:
- Atticus Finch experiences cognitive dissonance in Lee’s work as his commitment to justice conflicts with the prevailing racist attitudes in Maycomb, challenging his beliefs and societal norms.
- “1984” by George Orwell:
- Winston Smith faces it in Orwell’s dystopian world as his rebellion against an oppressive regime conflicts with societal conformity, creating internal tension.
- “The Stranger” by Albert Camus:
- In Camus’s novel, Meursault exhibits it through his detached attitude towards societal expectations and moral norms, creating tension within the narrative.
- “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald:
- Jay Gatsby experiences cognitive dissonance in Fitzgerald’s masterpiece as he pursues wealth and social status to win back Daisy, realizing the emptiness of his pursuit in contrast to his original ideals.
These examples from literature illustrate characters undergoing it, showcasing the complex interplay of beliefs, attitudes, and internal conflicts within fictional narratives.
Cognitive Dissonance: Relevance in Literary Theories
| Literary Theory | Relevance to Cognitive Dissonance |
| Psychoanalytic Literary Theory | Psychoanalytic Literary Theory, which delves into the unconscious and psychological aspects of characters, offers insights into how literature reflects and critiques societal pressures related to dissonance. It explores internal conflicts and unresolved tensions within characters, shedding light on the psychological dimensions of conflicting beliefs. |
| Reader-Response Literary Theory | Reader-Response Literary Theory, focusing on the reader’s interpretation and emotional responses, is relevant to dissonance in literature. It examines how readers might experience discomfort and internal conflict when encountering conflicting beliefs or values within a narrative, emphasizing the subjective and emotional engagement of readers. |
| Postcolonial Literary Theory | Postcolonial Literary Theory, exploring power dynamics and cultural conflicts, is relevant to cognitive dissonance in literature. It analyzes characters navigating conflicting beliefs arising from colonial legacies, cultural clashes, and identity crises within postcolonial narratives, highlighting the impact of historical and cultural tensions on characters’ internal struggles. |
| Feminist Literary Theory | Feminist Literary Theory, examining gender roles, power structures, and societal expectations, provides relevance to cognitive dissonance in literature. It analyzes how female characters may grapple with conflicting beliefs imposed by patriarchal norms and societal expectations, offering insights into the internal struggles of characters navigating gendered expectations. |
| Existentialist Literary Theory | Existentialist Literary Theory, exploring themes of individual freedom, choice, and existential angst, is relevant to dissonance in literature. It delves into characters’ struggles with conflicting beliefs and the existential dilemmas that arise from choices and moral ambiguities, providing a lens through which to examine the internal conflicts inherent in existentialist literature. |
Cognitive Dissonance: Application in Critiques
1. “The Vegetarian” by Han Kang:
- Application of Cognitive Dissonance: In this novel, Yeong-hye’s decision to become a vegetarian against societal expectations prompts cognitive dissonance within her family. The critique would explore the psychological tension arising from conflicting beliefs about conformity, individual autonomy, and cultural norms.
2. “The Sympathizer” by Viet Thanh Nguyen:
- Application of Cognitive Dissonance: The protagonist, a communist spy in a South Vietnamese army unit, experiences cognitive dissonance as he navigates loyalty to his cause and personal relationships. A cognitive dissonance critique would delve into the internal conflict between political beliefs and human connections in a complex historical context.
3. “The Memory Police” by Yoko Ogawa:
- Application of Cognitive Dissonance: In a dystopian world where memories are systematically erased, cognitive dissonance arises as characters grapple with the disappearing past. The critique would explore how the tension between personal memories and enforced collective forgetting generates a profound sense of dissonance within the characters.
4. “The Vegetarian” by Kang Young-sook:
- Application of Cognitive Dissonance: This lesser-known novel explores dissonance through the experiences of a young woman, grappling with societal expectations and personal desires. The critique would analyze how the character’s internal conflict reflects broader themes of societal pressure and individual autonomy.
In these critiques, dissonance serves as a tool to analyze internal conflicts and tensions within characters in lesser-known novels, providing a nuanced perspective on the psychological struggles and thematic elements of the works.
Cognitive Dissonance: Relevant Terms
| Term | Definition |
| Narrative Fidelity | The degree to which a narrative aligns with readers’ existing beliefs, contributing to or resolving dissonance. |
| Unreliable Narrator | A narrator whose credibility is questionable, impacting reader perception and introducing dissonance. |
| Double Bind | A conflicting situation where individuals receive contradictory messages, leading to dissonance. |
| Intertextuality | The interconnectedness of literary texts, influencing the interpretation of a work and contributing to dissonance. |
| Reader-Response Theory | Emphasizes the reader’s role in constructing meaning, influencing how dissonance is experienced and resolved. |
| Deconstruction | Literary theory challenging binary oppositions, introducing ambiguity and potentially causing dissonance. |
| Hermeneutics of Suspicion | Analyzing texts with suspicion, uncovering hidden meanings that may induce dissonance. |
| Genre Subversion | Deliberately defying genre conventions, creating dissonance for readers expecting familiar narrative patterns. |
| Othering | The portrayal of characters or groups as fundamentally different, contributing to dissonance and societal critique. |
| Postmodernism | Challenges traditional narrative structures and truths, fostering dissonance through fragmented and nonlinear storytelling. |
Cognitive Dissonance: Suggested Readings
- Aronson, Elliot. The Social Animal. Worth Publishers, 2011.
- Festinger, Leon. A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. Stanford University Press, 1957.
- Harmon-Jones, Eddie, and Judson Mills. Cognitive Dissonance: Progress on a Pivotal Theory in Social Psychology. American Psychological Association, 1999.
- Heffner, Christopher L. Cognitive Dissonance Theory: Psychological Consequences of Cognitive Inconsistency. Taylor & Francis, 2016.
- Tavris, Carol, and Elliot Aronson. Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts. Mariner Books, 2007.
- Eagly, Alice H., and Shelly Chaiken. The Psychology of Attitudes. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1993.
- Jack, Jordynn. Cognitive Architecture: Designing for How We Respond to the Built Environment. University of Pittsburgh Press, 2019.
- Keeley, Lawrence H. War Before Civilization: The Myth of the Peaceful Savage. Oxford University Press, 1997.
- Nisbett, Richard E., and Lee Ross. Human Inference: Strategies and Shortcomings of Social Judgment. Prentice-Hall, 1980.
