Cognitive Dissonance Theory Essay

Summary

Cognitive dissonance theory is the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts are inconsistent. There are three methods that dissonance can be condensed. Individuals can modify one or more of the beliefs, attitude, behaviors, and more, this way the connection between the two elements are in agreement with one another. Another method is to gather new information that will compensate the dissonant beliefs. The third method is to decrease the importance of the beliefs, attitudes, behavior, and etc. Dissonance theory does not say that these methods will work; only people in the state of cognitive dissonance will use these methods to condense the degree of their dissonance. Cognitive dissonance theory

Dissonance would be caused if you put in a lot of effort to accomplish something and then valued it negatively. Someone could dedicate so much time and energy into completing something, but the ending results be garbage, to escape dissonance, that person may attempt to convince themselves that the work wasn’t really that long and or hard, and that you actual enjoyed the work. This method of reducing dissonance is called effort justification. Aronson and Mills demonstrated a classic dissonance experiment, to investigate the relationship between dissonance and effort. In the experiment, female students volunteered to be involved in a discussion on the psychology of sex. The mild embarrassment condition read to the male experimenter out loud sex-related words like “virgin” and “prostitute.” The severe embarrassment condition had to read very explicit sexual passage and filthy words out loud. The control condition went right into the main study. All conditions listened to boring discussion about sex in lower animals. At the end the females were asked to rate how interesting the discussion was and the people involved. The most positive rating came from the severe embarrassment condition. The experiment showed if a voluntary experience that requires a good deal of effort, but does not turn out good, by redefining the experience as interesting will reduce dissonance, justifying the effort