Common Management Errors (109)  Cix) Not Understanding Cognitive Dissonance

Introduction
Cognitive dissonance is
"...the mental discomfort that results from holding two conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes. People prefer to see consistency in their attitudes and perceptions, so this conflict causes unpleasant feelings of unease or discomfort..."
Kendra Cherry, 2022
People like to believe they are logical, consistent and make good decisions. However, cognitive dissonance can challenge this perception about themselves and their abilities
Generally, you will engage in actions to minimise the inconsistency of this mental discomfort; some ways to do this include
- hiding (this involves
"...hiding beliefs, behaviours from others. People may feel ashamed of their conflicting beliefs and behaviours, so hide the disparity from others to minimise feelings of shame and guilt..."
Kendra Cherry, 2022)
- justify or explaining away (this can include adopting beliefs or ideas to help justify or explain away the conflict between beliefs, behaviours, eg blaming other people or external factors)
- dismissing or rejecting new information.(this can include seeking out information that confirms existing beliefs, ie confirmation bias)
"...cognitive dissonance can often have a powerful influence on your behaviours and actions. It doesn't just influence how you feel; it also motivates you to take action to reduce feelings of discomfort......this is particularly true if the disparity between their beliefs and behaviours involves something that is central to their sense of self..."
Kendra Cherry, 2022
It can lead to a negative sense of self-esteem and self-worth.
"...dissonance can play a role in how we act, think, and make decisions. We may engage in behaviours or adopt attitudes to help relieve the discomfort caused by the conflict..."
Kendra Cherry, 2022)
Some signs of cognitive dissonance:
"...- feeling uncomfortable before doing something or making a decision
     - trying to justify or rationalise a decision you made or action you have taken
     - feeling embarrassed or ashamed about something you have done and trying to hide your actions from other people
     - experiencing guilt or regret about something you've done in the past
     - doing things because of social pressure or fear of missing out, even if it wasn't something you wanted to do..."
Kendra Cherry, 2022
Someone with cognitive dissonance may display signs of anxiety, embarrassment, regret, sadness, shame, stress, etc.
Causes of cognitive dissonance:
- force compliance (owing to peer group pressure and/or external pressure to do something that is contrary to your own beliefs)
- new information (new information can sometimes highlight that what you are doing is incorrect, harmful, etc;
"...people sometimes deal with this by finding ways to justify their behaviours or finding ways to discredit or ignore new information..."
Kendra Cherry, 2022
- decision-making (making a choice between similar options; once a decision made people tend to justify this)
Influences on cognitive dissonance:
- the importance attached to each belief (the more personal the belief and the more highly valued, the greater the dissonance)
- the number of dissonant beliefs (the more clashing of beliefs, the greater the strength of overall dissonance felt )
Some examples of cognitive dissonance, ie feeling guilty
- as you want to be healthy but don't exercise regularly or eat nutritious food
- despite knowing drugs are harmful, rationalising use by pointing out your high stress levels
- despite all intentions to save money, once you have cash you tend to spend it
- working on your hobbies despite having a long to-do list for work.
Some ways to handle cognitive dissonance and handle the resultant discomfort include:
"...Seeking information that aligns you with and supports current beliefs, reducing the conflicting belief's importance, and changing beliefs to reduce the feeling of conflict..."
Kendra Cherry, 2022
An example handling dissonance is associated with smoking
"...- they might decide that they value smoking more than they value health, deeming the behaviour 'worth it' in terms of risks versus rewards
     - they may minimise potential drawbacks, such as by committing themselves to the belief that negative health benefits have been overstated or by believing that they cannot possibly avoid every possible risk out there
     - they might try to convince themselves that if they do stop smoking, they will gain weight, which also represents health risks..."
Kendra Cherry, 2022
Summary
"...People have an inner need to ensure that their beliefs and behaviours are consistent. Inconsistency or conflicting beliefs lead to disharmony, which people strive to avoid..."
Leon Festinger as quoted by Kendra Cherry, 2022
Cognitive dissonance
"...plays a role in many value judgements, decisions, and evaluation. 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...."
Kendra Cherry, 2022
Mismatches between your beliefs and actions can lead to a feeling of discomfort and sometimes bad choices.