Cognitive dissonance is one of the few theories in this book that has achieved name recognition within popular culture as people have found it practically useful. People are then motivated to reduce the dissonance, often in. Leon festingers theory of cognitive dissonance has been widely recognized for its important and. Pdf cognitive consistency in social cognition researchgate. As our opening quote indicates, however, festinger 1957, 1958 envisioned the social group as an important source of cognitive dissonance. Proposed by festinger, the cognitive dissonance theory asserts that people often have two conflicting or inconsistent cognitions which produce a state of tension or discomfort also known as dissonance. Cognitive dissonance introduction leon festinger published in 1957. Ronis ohio state university recent revisions of cognitive dissonance theory no longer encompass some of the important examples, data, and hypotheses that were part. Cognitive dissonance cd theory is arguably one of the most.
Leon festinger born may 8, 1919 february 11, 1989 was a social psychologist from new york city who became famous for his theory of cognitive dissonance. Much may be explained by leon festingers cognitive dissonance theory, whereby people tend to search for justifications to reduce the tension created by holding two inconsistent attitudes or performing an act. Leon festingers cognitive dissonance theory is very closely related to many of the consistency theories. Festingers 1957 cognitive dissonance theory suggests that we have an inner drive to hold all our attitudes and beliefs in harmony and avoid disharmony dissonance. Smoking o it is dangerous for my health o i smoke cigarettes. Dissonance spring is an international small group meeting for researchers interested in cognitive conflict models with a focus on cognitive dissonance theory, to be held in may 2020. In it, he proposed the centerpiece of the theory was on how people would try to reach internal consistency, meaning that people must need their beliefs and behaviors are consistent with one another. People are then motivated to reduce the dissonance, often in the easiest manner possible. It describes the feelings of discomfort resulting from having the two conflicting beliefs.
In the rest of the book many behavioural facts supporting the theory are put forward. Festingers cognitive dissonance theory and research. Ty book ti a theory of cognitive dissonance au festinger, leon sp 291 cy. Psychologist leon festinger is known for his theory of cognitive dissonance, which concerns our actions and attitudes. Therefore it need a free signup process to obtain the book. This work is a clearly stated theory on how humans think, decide, and defend their decisions. Festinger presented dissonance theory during the heyday of cognitive consistency theories,and he discussed dissonance as a cognitive consistency theory. As such, the experimental subjects of the festinger and carlsmith. An analysis of leon festingers a theory of cognitive dissonance. Leon festinger leon festinger cognitive dissonance. In his 1957 book, a theory of cognitive dissonance, festinger explained, cognitive dissonance can be seen as an antecedent condition which leads to activity. In an event wherein some of these cognitions clash, an unsettled state of tension occurs and this is called.
Leon festinger s theory of cognitive dissonance has been widely recognized for its important and influential concepts in areas of motivation and social psychology. This volume describes advances in the theory of cognitive dissonance, from its origination in. Note that, importantly, the sensory signal can be reacted to in various. In general, social psychologists, always looking for the next great theory, seemed to have shelved this book and its concepts within a couple of decades after it came out in 1957 see leon festingers comments 30 years later in appendix b of cognitive dissonance progress on a pivotal theory in social. It is also a prime example of how creative thinking and problem solving skills can come together to produce w. In order to reduce or possibly eliminate the dissonance, something must change because of the discrepancy between the persons beliefs and behaviors. Cite a theory of cognitive dissonance leon festinger. A person who experiences internal inconsistency tends to become psychologically uncomfortable and is motivated to reduce the cognitive dissonance. Festinger earned his bachelor of science degree from the city college of new york in 1939. Cognitive dissonance theory cognitive dissonance theory was first developed by leon festinger in 1956 after the publication of a book when prophecy fails, written with coauthors henry w. Cognitive dissonance theory festinger flashcards quizlet. In a theory of cognitive dissonance 1957, leon festinger proposed that human beings strive for internal psychological consistency to function mentally in the real world. Leon festingers theory of cognitive dissonance has been widely recognized for its important and influential concepts in areas of motivation and social psychology.
This is chapter one of leon festinger, a theory of cognitive dissonance. However, advocates of dissonance theory sometimes argue that of these two theories, only festinger s theory predicts that certain processes in social cognition will increase arousal, although there is some dispute about how much festinger s original theory really did imply that cognitive dissonance increased arousal. Festingers 1957 cognitive dissonance theory suggests that we have an. Ty book ti a theory of cognitive dissonance au festinger, leon sp 291 cy stanford pb stanford university press py 1957 ur. Where the theory falls short is relative simplicity. She attracted a group of followers who left jobs, schools, and spouses and. A social and psychological study of a modern group that predicted the destruction of the world is a classic work of social psychology by leon festinger, henry riecken, and stanley schachter published in 1956, which studied a small ufo religion in chicago called the seekers that believed in an imminent apocalypse and its coping mechanisms after the event did not occur. Leon festingers 1957 a theory of cognitive dissonance is a key text in the history of psychology one that made its author one of the most influential social psychologists of his time. Two elements could also be irrelevant to each other.
Festingers 1957 cognitive dissonance theory suggests that we have an inner drive to hold all our attitudes and behavior in harmony and avoid disharmony or dissonance. A theory of cognitive dissonance by leon festinger. The study cognitive dissonance is a phenomenon studied by leon festinger most famously in his 1954 study involving 71 male students from stanford university. Riecken and stanley schachter, to explain how members of a ufo doomsday cult increased their commitment to the cult when a prophesised destruction of the earth did not happen. Cognitive dissonance and how to resolve it verywell mind. In 1954 leon festinger first posited a theory of cognitive dissonance to. Festingers theory of cognitive dissonance has been one. After describing the theory, festinger divides the book into four sections probing the implications of dissonance theory. This chapter focuses on theory of cognitive dissonance. People hold many different cognitions about their world, e. Leon festinger 8 may 1919 11 february 1989 was an american social psychologist, perhaps best known for cognitive dissonance and social comparison theory. In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance occurs when a person holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values, or participates in an action that goes against one of these three, and experiences psychological stress because of that.
Welcome,you are looking at books for reading, the a theory of cognitive dissonance, you will able to read or download in pdf or epub books and notice some of author may have lock the live reading for some of country. Cognitive dissonance communication oxford bibliographies. The theory of dissonance is here applied to the problem of why partial reward, delay of reward, and effort expenditure during training result in increased resistance to extinction. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Cognitive dissonance theory has had a more illustrious career than its politicalscience and sociological equivalents. Festinger s 1957 cognitive dissonance theory suggests that we have an inner drive to hold all our attitudes and beliefs in harmony and avoid disharmony dissonance. While at the university of minnesota, festinger read about a cult that believed that the end of the world was at hand. In general, social psychologists, always looking for the next great theory, seemed to have shelved this book and its concepts within a couple of decades after it came out in 1957 see leon festinger s comments 30 years later in appendix b of cognitive dissonance progress on a pivotal theory in social. The first of the major consistency theories, the balance theory, was proposed by fritz heider 1946, 1958 and was later revised by theodore newcomb 1953 larson, 1995. May 04, 2020 leon festinger, born may 8, 1919, brooklyn, new york, u. Most persuasion researchers today subscribe to one of three revisions of festingers original theory.
This was the set up for leon festinger s study on cognitive dissonance. The psychological fields generated the concept and theory of cognitive dissonance e. Festingers theory of cognitive dissonance springerlink. It is also a prime example of how creative thinking and problem solving skills can come together to produce work that changes the way people look at questions for good. In this chapter, the main results of a structuralist analysis of festingers theory of cognitive dissonance and of a typical dissonance experiment are presented and some methodological problems are discusssed from a structuralist point of view. According to dissonance theory, selfesteem is threatened by inconsistency. The number of variations within this approach to selfevaluation regulation is also substantial. Cognitive dissonance theory an overview sciencedirect topics.
As noted earlier, this is often very difficult, so people frequently. The theory of cognitive dissonance festinger, 1957. A theory of cognitive dissonance by leon festinger, paperback. In a time of abundant information, the risk of picking up only those data that support our previous convictions is always there. Ronis ohio state university recent revisions of cognitive dissonance theory no longer encompass some of the important examples, data, and hypotheses that were part of festingers original statement. Indeed, the concept of cognitive dissonance has entered popular speech, even political campaigns. A theory of cognitive dissonance by leon festinger 30jun. It is essential reading for any scholar interested in the theory. As has been noted above, it is firmly planted in the sociopsychological tradition, which focuses on individual social behavior, psychological variables, perception, and cognition. Keech, reported receiving messages from extraterrestrial aliens that the world would end in a great flood on a specific date. Festingers cognitive dissonance theory and research examples. The central proposition of festingers theory is that if a person holds two cognitions that are inconsistent with one another, he will experience the pressure of an aversive motivational state called cognitive dissonance, a pressure which he will seek to remove, among other ways. In 1959, 71 students in an introductory course at stanford university participated in an experiment that was advertised as dealing with measures. The central proposition of festingers theory is that if a person holds two cognitions that.
Cognitive dissonance as defined by the book, the distressing mental state caused by inconsistency between a persons two beliefs or a belief and an action, 200. A psychologist, leon festinger, wrote a book titled a theory of cognitive dissonance. A process model of cognitive dissonance helps us understand the three. An introduction to the theory of cognitive dissonance. Festinger s 1957 cognitive dissonance theory suggests that we have an inner drive to hold all our attitudes and behavior in harmony and avoid disharmony or dissonance. The theory of cognitive dissonance in psychology video. Cognitive dissonance is the negative feeling that results from conflicting beliefs and behaviors. The book puts forward a new theory that seems to reconcile these data and assumptions. Cognitive dissonance theory an overview sciencedirect. Dissonance theory an overview sciencedirect topics. His theories and research are credited with renouncing the previously dominant behaviorist view of social psychology by demonstrating the inadequacy of stimulusresponse conditioning accounts of human behavior. Leon festingers theory of cognitive dissonance has been widely recognized for its important and influential concepts in areas of motivation and social. Cognitive dissonance leon festinger according to cognitive dissonance theory, there is a tendency for individuals to seek consistency among their cognitions i.
This is known as the principle of cognitive consistency. That brings us to the next point, namely the categorization of cognitive dissonance theory. In his seminal work on cognitive dissonance, leon festinger noted that inconsistencies between cognitions. Robert wicklund and jack brehm 1976, in their book perspectives on cognitive dissonance, write, most notably, the original statement of dissonance theory included propositions about the resistancetochange of cognitions and about the proportion of cognitions that are dissonant, both of which allowed powerful and innovative analyses of. Cognitive dissonance theory definition psychology glossary. When there is an inconsistency between attitudes or behaviors dissonance, something must change to eliminate the. Cognitivedissonancetheory after50yearsofdevelopment. The theory of cognitive dissonance is one of the most significant and influential theories. Leon festinger, born may 8, 1919, brooklyn, new york, u. Cognitive dissonance theory by festinger communicative. An analysis of leon festingers a theory of cognitive.
Festingers cognitive dissonance theory and research examples why should actions so often shape our attitude, rather than vice versa. In festingers original formulation of dissonance theory, two elements in a cognitive system e. This new theory can account for data with which other theories have. According to this theory, when two actions or ideas are not psychologically consistent with each other, people do all in their power to change. After completing his undergraduate studies, he attended the university of iowa where he received his ph. Historical note on festingers tests of dissonance theory. Cognitive dissonance occurs when a persons beliefs conflicts with other previously held beliefs. If it available for your country it will shown as book reader and user fully subscribe. Keep reading for a brief biography of festinger and to learn more about. According to cognitive dissonance theory, there is a tendency for individuals to seek consistency among their cognitions i. This seminal book is festingers exposition of the theory of cognitive dissonance. Books dealing explicitly with conflict show a similar neglect for example, lipset 1985.
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