cognitive dissonance
Sign in to savemental stress or discomfort experienced by an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time
AI overview
Cognitive dissonance is the uncomfortable mental stress you feel when you hold two or more contradictory beliefs or values at the same time. It matters because understanding this discomfort can help explain why people sometimes change their minds, rationalize their choices, or feel conflicted about their own behavior.
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Article
In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is described as a mental phenomenon in which people unknowingly or subconsciously hold fundamentally conflicting cognitions. Being confronted by situations that create this dissonance or highlight these inconsistencies motivates change in their cognitions or actions to reduce this dissonance, maybe by changing a belief, by explaining something away, or by taking actions that reduce perceived inconsistency.
Relevant items of cognition include people's actions, feelings, ideas, beliefs, values, and things in the environment. Cognitive dissonance exists without outward sign, but surfaces through psychological stress when psychological discomfort is created due to persons participating in an action that creates conflicting beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors, or when new information challenges existing beliefs.