Cognitive Dissonance

Why human beings twists what is happening around their beliefs, instead of allowing what is happening to inform their beliefs

When Behavior and Beliefs Disagree 

By Kendra Cherry  Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on July 18, 2019

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-cognitive-dissonance-2795012

The term cognitive dissonance is used to describe the feelings of discomfort that result when your beliefs run counter to your behaviors and/or new information that is presented to you.1 People tend to seek consistency in their attitudes and perceptions, so when what you hold true is challenged or what you do doesn't jibe with what you think, something must change in order to eliminate or reduce the dissonance (lack of agreement). A classic example of this is "explaining something away."

Definition

Psychologist Leon Festinger first proposed a theory of cognitive dissonance centered on how people try to reach internal consistency.2 He suggested that people have an inner need to ensure that their beliefs and behaviors are consistent. Inconsistent or conflicting beliefs lead to disharmony, which people strive to avoid.

In his 1957 book, A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, Festinger explained, "Cognitive dissonance can be seen as an antecedent condition which leads to activity oriented toward dissonance reduction just as hunger leads toward activity oriented toward hunger reduction. It is a very different motivation from what psychologists are used to dealing with but, as we shall see, nonetheless powerful."2

Influential Factors

The degree of dissonance people experience can depend on a few different factors, including how highly they value a particular belief and the degree to which their beliefs are inconsistent.

The overall strength of the dissonance can also be influenced by several factors: 

• Cognitions that are more personal, such as beliefs about the self, tend to result in greater dissonance.

• The importance of the cognitions; things that involve beliefs that are highly valued typically result in stronger dissonance.

• The ratio between dissonant (clashing) thoughts and consonant (harmonious) thoughts

• The greater the strength of the dissonance, the more pressure there is to relieve the feelings of discomfort.2

Cognitive dissonance can often have a powerful influence on our behaviors and actions.

Examples

Cognitive dissonance can occur in many areas of life, but it is particularly evident in situations where an individual's behavior conflicts with beliefs that are integral to his or her self-identity. A common example of cognitive dissonance occurs in the purchasing decisions we make on a regular basis.2 Consider a situation in which a man who places a value on being environmentally responsible just purchased a new car that he later discovers does not get great gas mileage.

• It is important for the man to take care of the environment.

• He is driving a car that is not environmentally friendly.

In order to reduce this dissonance between belief and behavior, he can sell the car and purchase another one that gets better gas mileage, or he can reduce his emphasis on environmental responsibility. In the case of the second option, his dissonance could be further minimized by engaging in actions that reduce the impact of driving a gas-guzzling vehicle, such as utilizing public transportation more frequently or riding his bike to work.

Most people want to hold the belief that they make good choices. When a purchase turns out badly, it conflicts with their previously-existing belief about their decision-making abilities.

In A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, Festinger offers an example of how an individual might deal with dissonance related to a health behavior by discussing individuals who continue to smoke, even though they know it is bad for their health.

According to Festinger, a person might decide that they value smoking more than health, deeming the behavior "worth it" in terms of risks versus rewards.2

Another way to deal with this dissonance is to minimize the potential drawbacks. The smoker might convince himself that the negative health effects have been overstated. He might also assuage his health concerns by telling himself that he cannot avoid every possible risk out there.2

Festinger suggested that the smoker might try to convince himself that if he does stop smoking then he will gain weight, which also presents health risks. By using such explanations, the smoker is able to reduce the dissonance and continue the behavior.

Common Reactions

When there are conflicts between cognitions (thoughts, beliefs, opinions), people will take steps to reduce the dissonance and feelings of discomfort. They can go about doing this a few different ways:

• Focus on more supportive beliefs that outweigh the dissonant belief or behavior. People who learn that greenhouse emissions result in global warming might experience feelings of dissonance if they drive a gas-guzzling vehicle. In order to reduce this dissonance, they might seek out new information that disputes the connection between greenhouse gasses and global warming. This new information might serve to reduce the discomfort and dissonance that the person experiences.

• Reduce the importance of the conflicting belief. A man who cares about his health might be disturbed to learn that sitting for long periods of time during the day is linked to a shortened lifespan. Since he has to work all day in an office and spends a great deal of time sitting, it is difficult to change his behavior in order to reduce his feelings of dissonance. In order to deal with the feelings of discomfort, he might instead find some way to justify his behavior by believing that his other healthy behaviors—like eating sensibly and occasionally exercising—make up for his largely sedentary lifestyle.

• Change the conflicting belief so that it is consistent with other beliefs or behaviors. Changing the conflicting cognition is one of the most effective ways of dealing with dissonance, but it is also one of the most difficult, particularly in the case of deeply held values and beliefs, such as religious or political leanings.2

A Word From Verywell

Cognitive dissonance plays a role in many value judgments, decisions, and evaluations. Becoming aware of how conflicting beliefs impact the decision-making process is a great way to improve your ability to make faster and more accurate choices.3 Mismatches between your beliefs and your actions can lead to feelings of discomfort (and, sometimes, coping choices that have negative impacts), but such feelings can also sometimes lead to change and growth.

For example, if you believe that exercise is important for your health but you rarely make time for physical activity, you may experience cognitive dissonance. This resulting discomfort may lead you to seek relief by increasing the amount of exercise you get each week. In this instance, altering your behavior to increase consistency with your belief and reduce the cognitive dissonance you are experiencing can play a positive role in your life and health.

The term cognitive dissonance is used to describe the feelings of discomfort that result when your beliefs run counter to your behaviors and/or new information that is presented to you.1 People tend to seek consistency in their attitudes and perceptions, so when what you hold true is challenged or what you do doesn't jibe with what you think, something must change in order to eliminate or reduce the dissonance (lack of agreement). A classic example of this is "explaining something away."

Definition

Psychologist Leon Festinger first proposed a theory of cognitive dissonance centered on how people try to reach internal consistency.2 He suggested that people have an inner need to ensure that their beliefs and behaviors are consistent. Inconsistent or conflicting beliefs lead to disharmony, which people strive to avoid.

In his 1957 book, A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, Festinger explained, "Cognitive dissonance can be seen as an antecedent condition which leads to activity oriented toward dissonance reduction just as hunger leads toward activity oriented toward hunger reduction. It is a very different motivation from what psychologists are used to dealing with but, as we shall see, nonetheless powerful."2

Influential Factors

The degree of dissonance people experience can depend on a few different factors, including how highly they value a particular belief and the degree to which their beliefs are inconsistent.

The overall strength of the dissonance can also be influenced by several factors: 

• Cognitions that are more personal, such as beliefs about the self, tend to result in greater dissonance.

• The importance of the cognitions; things that involve beliefs that are highly valued typically result in stronger dissonance.

• The ratio between dissonant (clashing) thoughts and consonant (harmonious) thoughts

• The greater the strength of the dissonance, the more pressure there is to relieve the feelings of discomfort.2

Cognitive dissonance can often have a powerful influence on our behaviors and actions.

Examples

Cognitive dissonance can occur in many areas of life, but it is particularly evident in situations where an individual's behavior conflicts with beliefs that are integral to his or her self-identity. A common example of cognitive dissonance occurs in the purchasing decisions we make on a regular basis.2 Consider a situation in which a man who places a value on being environmentally responsible just purchased a new car that he later discovers does not get great gas mileage.

• It is important for the man to take care of the environment.

• He is driving a car that is not environmentally friendly.

In order to reduce this dissonance between belief and behavior, he can sell the car and purchase another one that gets better gas mileage, or he can reduce his emphasis on environmental responsibility. In the case of the second option, his dissonance could be further minimized by engaging in actions that reduce the impact of driving a gas-guzzling vehicle, such as utilizing public transportation more frequently or riding his bike to work.

Most people want to hold the belief that they make good choices. When a purchase turns out badly, it conflicts with their previously-existing belief about their decision-making abilities.

In A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, Festinger offers an example of how an individual might deal with dissonance related to a health behavior by discussing individuals who continue to smoke, even though they know it is bad for their health.

According to Festinger, a person might decide that they value smoking more than health, deeming the behavior "worth it" in terms of risks versus rewards.2

Another way to deal with this dissonance is to minimize the potential drawbacks. The smoker might convince himself that the negative health effects have been overstated. He might also assuage his health concerns by telling himself that he cannot avoid every possible risk out there.2

Festinger suggested that the smoker might try to convince himself that if he does stop smoking then he will gain weight, which also presents health risks. By using such explanations, the smoker is able to reduce the dissonance and continue the behavior.

Common Reactions

When there are conflicts between cognitions (thoughts, beliefs, opinions), people will take steps to reduce the dissonance and feelings of discomfort. They can go about doing this a few different ways:

• Focus on more supportive beliefs that outweigh the dissonant belief or behavior. People who learn that greenhouse emissions result in global warming might experience feelings of dissonance if they drive a gas-guzzling vehicle. In order to reduce this dissonance, they might seek out new information that disputes the connection between greenhouse gasses and global warming. This new information might serve to reduce the discomfort and dissonance that the person experiences.

• Reduce the importance of the conflicting belief. A man who cares about his health might be disturbed to learn that sitting for long periods of time during the day is linked to a shortened lifespan. Since he has to work all day in an office and spends a great deal of time sitting, it is difficult to change his behavior in order to reduce his feelings of dissonance. In order to deal with the feelings of discomfort, he might instead find some way to justify his behavior by believing that his other healthy behaviors—like eating sensibly and occasionally exercising—make up for his largely sedentary lifestyle.

• Change the conflicting belief so that it is consistent with other beliefs or behaviors. Changing the conflicting cognition is one of the most effective ways of dealing with dissonance, but it is also one of the most difficult, particularly in the case of deeply held values and beliefs, such as religious or political leanings.2

A Word From Verywell

Cognitive dissonance plays a role in many value judgments, decisions, and evaluations. Becoming aware of how conflicting beliefs impact the decision-making process is a great way to improve your ability to make faster and more accurate choices.3 Mismatches between your beliefs and your actions can lead to feelings of discomfort (and, sometimes, coping choices that have negative impacts), but such feelings can also sometimes lead to change and growth.

For example, if you believe that exercise is important for your health but you rarely make time for physical activity, you may experience cognitive dissonance. This resulting discomfort may lead you to seek relief by increasing the amount of exercise you get each week. In this instance, altering your behavior to increase consistency with your belief and reduce the cognitive dissonance you are experiencing can play a positive role in your life and health.

Only Listening to Health Advice That Confirms Existing Beliefs

By Kendra Cherry  Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD  Updated on May 28, 2017

https://www.verywellmind.com/mental-biases-that-influence-health-choices-4071981

Mental Biases and Health Choices

We all make mistakes with our health and our relationships. Sometimes these errors can be relatively minor, but oftentimes the everyday choices we make can have long-term negative impacts on our physical and mental well being.

Bad decisions can happen to anyone, but in many cases these mental mistakes are caused by sneaky and surprisingly subtle cognitive biases. Let's take a closer look at how some of these mental biases can influences the health choices you make each and every day, from small decisions about what to eat for lunch to bigger choices that may have a long-term impact on both your physical and psychological health and well-being.

1 Confirmation Bias

People have a natural tendency to seek out information that affirms what they already believe to be true, a phenomenon known as the confirmation bias. It's the reason why we often give greater credence to news stories that support the things we believe while at the same time discounting stories that are contrary to our views of the world.

So how does this confirmation bias influence your health? Sometimes we tend to focus on news stories or research reports that affirm our current health or lifestyle choices, yet dismiss possibly useful and relevant stories because they conflict with our behavior or health decisions. For example, if you exercise a few times a week but otherwise spend most of your time sitting at a desk, you might be more inclined to ignore health reports warning that too much sitting might be hurting your health.

So what can you do to combat this bias and make more objective decisions when it comes to your health? Simply being aware of this tendency is a great place to start. The next time you find yourself dismissing information because it does not immediately confirm your beliefs or support your behaviors, spend a little time analyzing why you are so quick to reject it.

Challenging your preconceptions can be a great way to expand your mind and explore new ways of thinking, and even accepting this contrary information does not necessarily mean that you have to restructure your life to accommodate it. Instead, look for small changes that you might make in your daily routine that might ultimately lead to better health.

In our earlier example, you certainly don't need to rush out and buy a standing desk or treadmill desk simply because you read a news article saying that sitting is bad. Instead, try to be conscious of how much you sit in a day and look for small changes you can make that might help get you up and moving more throughout your day.

2 Optimism Bias

Being Overly Optimistic About Your Health

People are also prone to being more optimistic about their own chances of success and good health, a phenomenon often referred to as the optimism bias or illusion of invulnerability. If you ask people to estimate how likely it is that they will ever experience something such as an accident, serious illness, divorce, or job loss, they will likely underestimate the true probability that such events will impact their lives.

Conversely, people are also more likely to believe that their lives will be filled with positive events such as earning high incomes, owning their own homes, and living long lives.

So what roll can the optimism bias play in the decisions you make each day about your health?

Because we tend to overestimate the chances of good things happening to us and underestimate the chances of bad things affecting our lives, we are also more likely to believe that engaging in unhealthy or risky behaviors will not have a negative effect on our health.

This can be particularly true if we believe that the negative outcomes are rare or unlikely. If you believe that skin cancer is a relatively rare disease, you might continue tanning and neglecting sunscreen use because you simply think that it is highly uncommon for anyone to be affected by the ailment. You not only underestimate the overall prevalence of skin cancer, but the optimism bias also leads you to underestimate the likelihood that skin cancer would ever affect you, regardless of your health choices and behaviors.

This certainly does not mean that being optimistic is a bad thing. Having a positive outlook and believing that our actions can make a difference is often what inspires us to pursue our goals and engage in healthy activities in the first place.

Unfortunately, researchers have found that overcoming the optimism bias can actually be quite difficult. In one study that attempted to reduce the bias using methods such as listing risk factors and listing reasons why they might be at risk, all methods used to decrease the bias ended up serving to increase it.

One strategy that might work involves comparing yourself to individuals who are very close or similar to you. For example, if you have close friends and family members who have been affected by skin cancer, you might be more realistic in your assessments of your own risks.

3 Probability Neglect

Worrying About Less Likely Risks and Ignoring More Likely Dangers

When people are making decisions, particularly those in the face of uncertainty, they have a tendency to disregard the probability of each possibility. For example, most people don't find themselves filled with dread and terror every time they start their car but many people do experience significant amounts of anxiety when flying on a plane. This is despite the fact that dying in a car accident is far more likely than dying in an airplane crash.

Social psychologist Cass Sunstein labeled this tendency probability neglect, a cognitive bias that often causes people to dramatically overinflate small risks or simply ignore them altogether. This bias can affect a number of everyday decisions, including those that impact your health and well-being.

One example that researchers have investigated is how this bias can impact people's decisions to wear seat belts when riding in a car. Some individuals might fear that wearing a seat belt might pose a greater risk in the case of an accident where a vehicle becomes submerged in water or engulfed in flames, suggested that the restraining device might actually lead to an individual becoming trapped an unable to escape.

This scenario represents a very low probability event, yet the probability neglect bias might lead some people to overinflate the chances it may occur or ignore the probably of much more likely accident scenarios. Such overestimations can lead to poor health choices—in this instance, failing to wear a seatbelt even though it is statistically more likely protect the individual's life in the event of a collision.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that millions of American adults fail to use seat belts for every trip, despite the fact that seat belt use is the most effect way to reduce injuries and fatalities during vehicular accidents.

So what can you do to minimize the possibility that the probability neglect bias might lead to poor decision-making when it comes to your health? The research is not clear, but giving yourself time to weigh the options, taking a serious look at the probabilities associated with each scenario, and following health guidelines provided by medical professionals can help guide you to better choices.

4 Status Quo Bias

Sticking With the Status Quo and Refusing to Accept Change

If you are like many people, you might find yourself looking over your health insurance options every year to determine which plan is best for you and your family. Do you stick with your current plan or go with a new one? One sneaky little cognitive bias that can play a role in determining which option you choose is known as the status quo bias. People tend to prefer that things stay the same as they are now, even if making certain changes might potentially lead to big benefits. In other words, people are more prone to stick with what they know rather than take a risk on the unknown.

One study found that while younger workers more willing to switch to a health plan that featured lower premiums and deductibles, older workers were less likely to switch and preferred to stick with their old "tried and true" plans.

The status quo bias is one reason why those who are closer to retirement age might be less willing to take a risk on a potentially better, but also potentially riskier, health plan. The possible losses that might result from switching tend to loom larger in people's minds, making them place a greater emphasis on loss-avoidance rather than on maximizing benefits. This becomes particularly true as people approach retirement age and feel that they have more at stake and less time to make up for any potential mistakes.

The status quo bias might negatively impact health in situations such as those where people stick with a plan that offers poorer coverage out of fear of changing their current situation. In other cases, however, the status quo bias can actually offer some health protective benefits. By minimizing risks, people are less likely to experience losses that might negatively influence their health and well-being.

Final Thoughts

The decisions you make each and every day can have both minor and major impacts on your overall health and well-being. Some choices will be good, some choices okay, and some can be downright disastrous. Being aware of some of the often subtle mental biases that play a role in the decisions you make might help you make better decisions when it comes to your health.