Jun 20, 2025 · Cognitive dissonance theory, proposed by Festinger, focuses on the discomfort felt when holding conflicting beliefs or attitudes, leading individuals to seek consistency.

According to this theory, when an action or idea is psychologically inconsistent with the other, people automatically try to resolve the conflict, usually by reframing a side to make the combination congruent.

Mar 10, 2026 · Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort you feel when your actions and beliefs don't match. People deal with cognitive dissonance by trying to justify or rationalize their actions.

As presented by Festinger in 1957, dissonance theory began by postulating that pairs of cognitions (elements of knowledge) can be relevant or irrelevant to one another. If two cognitions are relevant to …

Dec 31, 2025 · Cognitive dissonance occurs when there is a conflict between beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors, leading to discomfort & a motivation to reduce the inconsistency. People address this …

What is cognitive dissonance? When someone tells a lie and feels uncomfortable about it because he fundamentally sees himself as an honest person, he may be experiencing cognitive...

Our discussion starts with cognitive dissonance—one of the most prominent topics in social psychology. The central thesis of cognitive dissonance theory (Festinger, 1957) is that when two beliefs are …

Oct 26, 2015 · Cognitive dissonance theory (Festinger, 1957) posits that individuals seek to maintain consistency among multiple cognitions (e.g., thoughts, behaviors, attitudes, values, or beliefs).

Cognitive Dissonance Theory Cognitive Dissonance Theory, first introduced by psychologist Leon Festinger in the late 1950s, explains how individuals experience discomfort when their thoughts, …

Nov 25, 2025 · Festinger’s (1957/ 1963) cognitive dissonance theory posited that individuals were motivated to reduce dissonance and achieve consonance between cognitions, behaviors, and the …