The Cognitive Dissonance Theory exists all around us. It involves the relationship between cognitions. It is caused by an inconsistency in what a person beliefs and the way that they choose to act. The idea that “someone is always right” occurs a lot in our society. In positions of power, people see their ideas as always correct. Despite what they preach to be correct, they don’t always follow that. In my life the one person who is always right is my mother. No matter the situation what she says is the truth and I have to follow the rules that she sets in place as a result of those “truths.” Although I am always told not to raise my voice by my mother, she continuously raises her voice at me. This hypocritical action represents the Cognitive Dissonance Theory.
The theory of Communication being a product of content and relationship really appeals to me. Not only because I agree with this theory, but because it is interesting to me how one can manipulate these factors in order to get a certain point across. Being a theater minor, I have had to study everything about one’s actions; both when they are trying to get their message across verbally (communication) and what nonverbal (meaning beneath the surface) cues are also used to give an audience a certain impression. Actors manipulate these cues (facial, word emphasis, tone of voice, etc) in order make sure the audience relates to what they are trying to say.
Another part of the theory that I found interesting was the concept of metacommunication (Communication about communication). The example of the family in Chapter 14 showed how an angry drug addicted son’s outburst was a cry for attention from his family. How his family responds to both the content of his hurtful message and the relationship of his anger towards them will either improve their metacommunication or make the family’s dynamic worse.
Cognitive dissonance is a very important idea that enables us to view things in a wider perspective. In my philosophy class we talked about climate change and the amount of BS that is seen in the fight between the two parties. I thought that this applied greatly. In the video the bias of the party who believed climate control is a myth took the pieces of the data and made it so they were right. The climate was obviously rising but to disprove this they took out the parts where it also decreased.They called this “going down the upescalatorIt is important to not let your bias get in the way of the facts and what is and is not wrong.
Cognitive dissonance is a very important theory because we deal with it almost daily. The part I find most interesting is that we don’t recognize facts that go against our own views. One way we see this come to the service is in politics. People tend to cherry pick stats that support their own view and ignore stats that do not support their opinion. One place that we have to look out for this is in our own lives. The Dilbert comic below takes a comical look at this in a professional setting but it is very important to try and keep an open mind. When we are making decisions, whether in a professional or personal setting, we have to make sure to look at all the facts. You have to recognize your bias and be able to try and take the other side into account otherwise you could end up making poor decisions using the wrong criteria
This idea of the family as a system within the interactional view reminds me of the movie Stuck in Love. It is about a family whose parents have split, because the wife cheated on the husband. The kids (one is 18 and one is 21 I think) still live with their dad while the mom lives with her new husband. The daughter witnessed her mom kissing her current husband on the beach while she was still married to her dad. She is furious with her mom and refuses to speak to her. The daughter is also upset with the dad, because he can’t let her mom go and is still hopeful that they will get back together. There are so many different emotional stimuli as well as responses that everyone in the family begins making terrible choices for both themselves and the family unit without anyone ever acknowledging how detrimental these choices truly are. These emotions spread even outside of the family to other people, and it isn’t until they as a unit begin stepping “outside” and honestly evaluating the root of their emotions and actions that their family dynamic improves. This improvement leads to the family being back together on Thanksgiving as a unit in peace.
The theory of cognitive dissonance of Leon Festinger is defined as the “distressing mental state that people feel when they find themselves doing things that don’t fit with that they know, or having opinions that do not fit with other opinions they hold.” I thought that the “post decision dissonance” was the most interesting hypothesis. It was easy for me to identify with this theory. Festinger explains Post decision dissonance as the “strong doubts experienced after making an important, close- call decision that is difficult to reverse. As a college student I find myself in tricky situations
almost on a daily basis, for example last week we had to declare our majors and I was definitely hit by a “morning-after-the-night-before” regrets. Do I really want to major in Communication? What are my options after college? Do a lot of communication majors end up finding a job after graduating from college? Important decisions like that make me doubt myself, overthink the decision I just made or even regret the decisions I made.
The theory of cognitive dissonance describes the distressing and stressful mental state experienced by an individual as a result of “doing things that don’t fit with what they know, or having opinions that do not fit with other opinions they hold (217). Festinger believed as humans we crave consistency and this is why avoiding dissonance is as imperative as satisfying the basic needs of hunger and safety. Individuals pursue consistency in their beliefs and actions so when there appears to be inconsistency between these, individuals will change either their behavior or their belief in order to avoid the unpleasant feeling. Festinger claims individuals engage in selective exposure, postdecision dissonance and minimal justification to deal with their dissonance. The mental mechanism I found the most relatable and interesting was “selective exposure.” This mechanism describes the predisposition people have “to avoid information that would create cognitive dissonance because it’s incompatible with their current beliefs.” Festinger uses selective exposure to explain why individuals choose to watch television news channels that align with their political beliefs. Festinger’s example reminded me of an article I just read by Political Scientist Diana Mutz named “How the Mass Media Divides Us.” Mutz article illustrates Festinger’s example clearly and shows how the mass media uses incivility as entertainment since people are attracted to this and enjoy watching more polarized television. The reason people enjoy watching polarized television even though it increases cynicism is because polarized television reinforces “selective exposure.” We will always be more attracted to shows and campaign adds that encourage some sort of point of view even though it’s a very extreme point one compared to one that merely states facts.
Cognitive Dissonance, a theory introduced by social psychologist Leon Festinger, illustrates the feeling of disconnect people experience when their actions are inconsistent with their actual beliefs. Festinger hypothesized three mental mechanisms that individuals tend to use in order to ensure that their actions and attitudes remain consistent: selective exposure, postdecision dissonance, and minimal justification. One very important part of minimal justification (Hypothesis 3) that I see occur on a daily basis is compliance. Compliance can be defined as “public conformity to another’s expectation without necessarily having a private conviction that matches the behavior”, and is exhibited in many scenarios when an individual feels a certain amount of pressure, either internal or external, to somehow fit in. This idea of compliance is illustrated in the movie American History X, by the character Danny in his actions following his brother Derek’s arrest. Danny never took part in skinhead activities before Derek went to jail, however, after his arrest Danny develops new friendships and finds himself in a higher place in the skinhead community and becomes involved in a world that is intimidating and unfamiliar. Danny understands that it is dangerous and out of character for him to get involved, but it is important to Danny that Derek is proud of him, and Danny knows that the skinhead community plays a significant role in Derek’s life. The scene posted below shows Danny talking to Seth about how he hates anyone who isn’t white and protestant while Derek listens in on the conversation.
With the multitude of societal temptations that perpetually surround us, Festinger’s theory of Cognitive Dissonance often provides an explanation for the justification of ill-advised choices. The book uses cigarette addiction as an example; there is irrefutable scientific evidence towards the extremely negative side effects of smoking cigarettes, yet even well-educated and otherwise healthy individuals cannot quit smoking. In Boston, one of my best friends named Nick Kalemkerides became addicted to cigarettes at the age of 14, was smoking two packs a day by 16, and has been battling his addiction ever since. Nick is a first generation American and his entire family is from Greece, where cigarettes are as common as a pebble on a beach. He is a diligent worker and values the money he makes, yet he will inevitably spend a large portion of his paycheck on cigarettes. For me personally, this has been a difficult journey to watch. I still vividly remember when Nick would steal his parent’s cigarettes, throw them out, draw X’s on the box and return the box to the dining room table, knowing that the consequences would be severe. Now, he and his parents smoke together. At one point, he rationalized his quitting efforts by replacing cigarettes with chewing tobacco, but this only complicated his goals of abandoning tobacco because he resumed smoking and maintained his dipping habits. Because of Cognitive Dissonance, Nick will rationalize a hard day of work at the Auto-Shop with a cigarette or two at night, even though this poses “an inconsistency” with his own personal beliefs. However, our friend group has actively tried to help him quit, and this support has reinforced his belief that he does not need cigarettes. Nick no longer buys packs, and although he will certainly bum a smoke after a night at the bars, I am happy that his actions have begun aligning with his beliefs.
The Cognitive Dissonance Theory of Lean Festinger is “the distressing mental state caused by inconsistency between a person’s two beliefs or a belief and an action.” This theory is important as it talks of the stress and anxiety that can be caused when one is put in a position that causes them to have opinions or thoughts that are not in line with their previous beliefs, so one must then change their actions in order to be comfortable. One part of this theory is the idea of selective exposure prevents dissonance. This idea is that people expose themselves to people and experiences that are in line with their opinions and beliefs. The book gives the example of how people watch new broadcasts that are in line with their political beliefs in order that they hear the news presented in a way that is comfortable to them. Another example I thought of is how in college people quickly are attracted to certain groups based on their interests and beliefs and there are numerous campus events that appeal to these different interests that students can attend to reinforce their beliefs or avoid so as to not challenge their beliefs. This made me think of the movie the Breakfast Club about students in different cliques have certain beliefs about one another beforehand due to their social circles and do not enjoy at first being told that their opinions and beliefs about one another are not actually true.
