Cognitive Dissonance Is Defined By Gilovich Et - 1283 Words

Cognitive dissonance is defined by Gilovich et all’s textbook as â€Å" A theory that maintains the inconsistencies among a person’s thoughts, sentiments, and actions create an aversive emotional state (dissonance) that leads to efforts to restore consistency†. While this definition is true it also quite confusing. To understand this first the words that make up the term need to be understood. Cognition is a mental action, it involves gaining knowledge and understanding through use of thoughts, senses, and experiences. This cognition can produce a perception, sensation, notion, or intuition. Dissonance is simply a discrepancy among two things. In the case of cognitive dissonance this discrepancy is between any two of the following; an idea,†¦show more content†¦There are four distinct ways to reduce cognitive dissonance; Change the behavior or cognition, justify the behavior or cognition by changing conflicting cognition, justify the behavior or cognitio n by adding new cognitions, or ignore or deny any information that conflicts with one s existing beliefs. Cognitive dissonance was created by Leon Festinger in 1957. While it is just a theory is widely regarded as fact. Festinger created this theory when he was doing an observational study on a cult that believed the world was to be destroyed by a flood and the cult members would be spared by aliens. Cult members sold or gave away their positions, including their homes, and their jobs and then waited to be rescued by aliens. The aliens never came and the earth was obviously not destroyed. Festinger noticed a trend where the extremely committed members of the cult believed that the earth was spared due to the members extreme faith. The less committed members chocked it up to a bad mistake on their part or a worthwhile experience and ceased believing in the cult. This is a classic example of cognitive dissonance, the members with the highest commitment and faith changed their beliefs to think that their faith had spared the earth. The members who hadn t given up their homes and jobs, los t faith in the cult. The two separate belief changes by the two groups were both ways to relieve the cognitive dissonance created when the aliens never