Applying the suggested emotion-regulation framework on dissonance research may hopefully open up new avenues of inquiry and help bring dissonance theory into the second decade of the twenty-first century. It is important to point out that the model presented here is a working model, and therefore some details are less clear than others. The distinction between explicit and implicit dissonance reduction needs to be further elaborated.

How Cognitive Dissonance Feels

When choosing to consider long-term goals in a dissonant situation, we argue, similar to Kelman and Baron (1968) and Sheppes (2014), that the individual is more likely to engage in elaborate strategies (e.g., reappraisal in the form of transcendence). When considering short-term goals in the same, however, we argue that the individual might be more likely to simply use distraction or try to escape the situation. In order to comply with long-term motivational goals, we hold that the individual will have to take cognitive capacity into account. We relate general capacity directly to the https://ecosoberhouse.com/ individual’s overall dissonance-reduction repertoire (cf. Kaplan and Crockett, 1968; Bonanno and Burton, 2013). For instance, some individuals have the capacity to employ sophisticated strategies (e.g., transcendence) when the situation calls for it, whereas others might only have access to more primitive strategies (e.g., trivialization or escape). Sometimes people are simply too exhausted to deal with dissonant situations and might try to find the easy way out (i.e., choosing distraction, escape, or trivialization rather than transcendence, differentiation, or attitude change).

Cognitive Dissonance: Theory, Examples & How to Reduce It

• This is called the spreading-of-alternatives effect and is thought to shield against post-decisional regret (Brehm, 1956).
• Cognitive dissonance can cause significant anxiety, especially when individuals struggle to reconcile conflicting beliefs or behaviors.
• Evidence-based addiction treatment uses the current and best research-based evidence to make informed decisions about your rehab care.
• In this paper, we present a novel approach for how to reconcile previous ideas and findings related to dissonance reduction in a more inclusive model.
• Consistent with theories of symbolic interactionism (Erickson, 1995), the quality of social interactions may contribute to a transition of self-image and identity towards a non-addict.

For example, while craving, the decision to smoke just one cigarette is viewed in a more favorable light. The smoker may focus on more accommodating belief (e.g., “smoking cannot be very dangerous”). By reducing the risk of smoking, one will have less difficulty in smoking and not feel bad about it.

• This is called the free-choice paradigm and the typical prediction is that individuals will like the chosen option (vs. the non-chosen option) more after making the decision.
• He suggested that people have an inner need to ensure that their beliefs and behaviors are consistent.
• However, a failed attempt to make up might lead to continued guilt, which might in turn lead to the individual trying to compensate with an indirect gesture rather than addressing the main issue.
• Note that the magnitude of dissonance and the novel-familiar dimension of the situation independently influence negative arousal in our model.
• Consequently, theoretical conclusions are then based on mean-score differences between groups–regardless of how large the overlap between score distributions, as long as the difference is statistically significant at alpha level 0.05.

Prevalence and Variation of Emotional Reactions

• Moreover, it proposes that human (and perhaps other animal) brains have evolved to selectively ignore contradictory information (as proposed by dissonance theory) to prevent the overfitting of their predictive cognitive models to local and thus non-generalizing conditions.
• By reducing the risk of smoking, one will have less difficulty in smoking and not feel bad about it.
• Addiction doesn’t discriminate based off of gender, race, sexual orientation, political affiliation, socio-economic status, or nationality.
• This tendency to avoid and rationalize conflicts prevents effective resolution and can erode trust and intimacy in a relationship.
• The goal is to equip you with the tools and strategies needed to manage these triggers effectively and maintain long-term sobriety.
• A possible explanation is perhaps that trivialization coupled with attitude change is qualitatively different from trivialization alone.

This explains why someone will hold on to beliefs and ideas that are wholly illogical and obviously irrational to others. They claim that they are the exception to the rule, believing they will be able to manage their addiction or have a particularly strong constitution. Instead of owning up to our hypocrisy, we will try any means possible of twisting our beliefs and judgements in a way that justifies our inconsistent behaviour.

Step 2: Reach Out

Lastly, if the magnitude of dissonance is rather small and the situation is highly familiar, the reduction will be rather implicit (e.g., an automated distraction response). Note that the novel-familiar assessment in our model occurs at a higher-level of processing and is related to the regulatory process rather than the initial appraisal of the situation (i.e., the detection of dissonance). Similar to the process model (cf. Gross, 2014), we suggest that in the early part of the emotion-generation process, typical strategies are avoidance, escape (i.e., modification of the situation), or distraction. Furthermore, we argue that these dissonance-reduction strategies are most likely related to fear/anxiety reactions or anticipation of fear/anxiety (cf. LaBar, 2016), but also reactions related to anger (cf. Harmon-Jones and Harmon-Jones, 2016). When having enough control functions as well as sufficient motivation, however, the individual might elaborate more on the situation despite experiencing rather strong arousal.

Consistent with theories of symbolic interactionism (Erickson, 1995), the quality of social interactions may contribute to a transition of self-image and identity towards a non-addict. However, our findings also indicate that a new identity and a new life do not imply a dichotomy between the life and identity as an addict. Thus, rather than repressing the past, participants found it useful cognitive dissonance and addiction to keep their history in mind as an impetus to continue on the road to recovery. A smoker, for example, who knows that smoking causes cancer, experiences cognitive dissonance if she continues to smoke. But that is difficult, so most smokers convince themselves that the links between smoking and lung cancer are not quite as strong as doctors claim (modify belief, or avoid the information).

• Moreover, as one of the rare social psychology theories that propose a general pattern characterizing the human psyche and construction of reality, CDT is a very important theory for the field.
• When there are conflicts between cognitions (thoughts, beliefs, and opinions), people will take steps to reduce the dissonance and feelings of discomfort.
• However, if the reduction strategy fails, the individual might feel a prolonged sense of annoyance and irritation.
• Consider if you’re working in a job you hate, suggests Michele Leno, PhD, a Michigan-based licensed psychologist and founder of DML Psychological Services.
• The predictive dissonance account proposes that the motivation for cognitive dissonance reduction is related to an organism’s active drive for reducing prediction error.
• Similarly, inconsistency is generally irrelevant to an SEM threat, whereas other’s performance is crucial.

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