Cognitive Dissonance: Causes and Effects

Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person holds contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values, and is typically experienced as psychological stress when they participate in an action that goes against one or more of them. People feel comfortable when what they are doing conforms with their beliefs and values. Once the action he is partaking disagrees with his values, there is an uncomfortable feeling which is known as dissonance.

When dissonance is high, the individual not only attempt to reduce it but will avoid situations in which additional dissonance might be produced. The greater the dissonance, the greater the need to reduce it.

I had been trying to lose weight but lacked the financial power to stick to those diet suggested by the dietician. Anytime I went back to eating the usual high carb foods, I felt like I am adding more to my weight and I am betraying my body. It created cognitive dissonance.

Usually when dissonance is high, one might try to change his perception of the situation or action that causes the dissonance. A change of perception could reduce the cognitive dissonance. When I couldn’t stop eating high carb diets, I began telling myself that my mum always eats high carb diet but she hasn’t put on weight. Probably it isn’t high carb diets that causes over-weight after all. It actually helped reduce my dissonance but the problem still existed. Change of perception doesn’t change the fact of the situation but it changes how we see the situation.

Sometimes change of perception alone might not help. It may require a change of action. I used to bet on football matches. My perception on betting since my youthful age is that it is bad and people who bet are greedy and are in search for quick money. So when I started betting online on football matches, I felt uncomfortable. I couldn’t agree with myself on the act. I fought with my mind and values trying to change the perception I had about the act. I tried telling myself that even if I win big, I will pay tithe from it, support my family and help some people who I see to be not doing well in my society and church. It failed to work. After several months of dissonance on the act, I finally decided to quit it. Stopping the action was the only way to stop the dissonance.

When there is dissonance, there is always that feeling of uncomfortability anytime the action which causes the dissonance is performed. Some people can think about the action even days or weeks after it has taken place. There was an instance I challenged one elderly woman who was on my staff concerning an issue. Even weeks after that encounter I kept feeling uncomfortable anytime I saw her. I felt so bad within because since childhood, I have been taught to respect the elderly and not to challenge them. Though I wasn’t wrong in the issue under consideration but the fact that she was as old as my mum and I challenged her created the dissonance.

Causes of dissonance

Decision making is one area where dissonance could easily be created. When my smartphone had an issue, I wanted to get a new one. But the decision on whether to get a mid-range smartphone and use the rest of the money for something else or buy a high-end flagship device which could accommodate all my applications and vigorous phone use created a dissonance. For over two weeks I kept contemplating on what to do.

Forced compliance could also lead to dissonance. When you are forced to agree to a situation which contradicts with your values, it causes dissonance.

Initiation into a new belief at first could cause dissonance. When I started pursuing my Masters course, I felt uncomfortable having to attend lectures on Sundays instead of going to church. It caused dissonance till I convinced myself that aside Sunday, there are other days I could attend church and that wouldn’t make me unchristian.

Dissonance is usually high if the value you give to that cognitive element which could be the belief, faith, values and principles is very high. Acting contrary to beliefs you consider very important could lead to dissonance. Someone with values but doesn’t hold them highly or consider them less important could easily act contrary to them and still feel no dissonance.

The number of beliefs involved in the dissonant relationship is also a major factor. A person who believes in a pious life will feel dissonant when he starts drinking, gambling, smoking or womanizing. The higher the number of values you are breaking, the greater the dissonance.

Prevention

To reduce dissonance, changing the behaviour or action always help. Sometimes when we seek more information on the element which is causing the dissonance, we may find more information on our situation and thereby reducing dissonance. After many years of thinking that the cause of obesity or overweight was meat and fatty foods, I started searching for more information on that. I got information that suggested that the cause of overweight isn’t meat and fatty foods but rather carbohydrates. I could now eat more fat without feeling dissonant.