Cognitive dissonance, the mental tension from conflicting beliefs and actions, can impact your behavior and well-being. By understanding the psychology of cognitive dissonance, you can find ways to reduce it.
Cognitive dissonance is the unease or discomfort you experience when you have cognitions (ideas, beliefs, or values) that aren’t consistent with one another, or when your cognitions and behaviors seem to contradict.
Think of the last time you did something that didn’t match your beliefs or values. Maybe you had too much to drink one night, even though you pride yourself on your healthy habits. Then, you felt a mix of anxiety and self-disgust the next morning. Or, perhaps you told a lie, then felt a knot of guilt or shame in your gut. To cope with this disconnect between your beliefs and actions, you may have promised yourself that you’d avoid alcohol for the next week, or rationalized that your lie was somehow necessary. This is the cognitive dissonance theory in action.
Inconsistencies in your thoughts and actions trigger discomfort and emotions like anger, irritation, anxiety, guilt, and regret. Then, you feel compelled to resolve the dissonance by changing your cognitions or actions.
The concept of cognitive dissonance emerged in 1957, when Leon Festinger published his theory of social psychology. It was a new way for psychologists to think about how people internalize their values, arrive at certain attitudes or beliefs, and consider the consequences of their actions.
Although cognitive dissonance feels bad, it is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it can motivate you to change certain thoughts or behaviors. For example, if you’re trying to improve your overall health but continue to eat foods you know aren’t good for you, cognitive dissonance can motivate you to change your eating habits.
However, sometimes the inconsistency between your beliefs and actions can cause extreme or long-term mental discomfort. If you routinely give into peer pressure, for example, and do things that are against your values, you may feel caught in a spiral of regret and self-loathing. Or if you can’t stick to a diet, you may be plagued by self-doubt and beat yourself up. Even if you try to ignore the internal discomfort of cognitive dissonance, it can still resurface as physical tension and stress.
No matter how much discomfort cognitive dissonance is causing you, there are ways you can take back control of negative thoughts and realign your beliefs, values, and behaviors.
Cognitive dissonance can arise often in your daily life. Sometimes, you quickly rationalize away an internal conflict or push it aside. Other times, dissonance may stick around and cause longer-lasting discomfort. Some circumstances that can lead to cognitive dissonance include:
Inconsistent beliefs and behaviors. For example, you believe that you need to reduce the amount of sugar in your diet. However, you habitually buy and eat a box of donuts after work.
Decision-making processes. You might need to make a choice between two appealing or unappealing options. For example, you’re torn on whether to buy an ethically sourced product or a cheaper alternative.
Social pressures and expectations. When you’re with a certain group of friends, you feel compelled to laugh at offensive jokes that you’d otherwise find distasteful.
Moral or ethical dilemmas. A political candidate supports legislation that you believe is morally just. However, you also think the politician is corrupt.
Addiction. You know smoking is bad for your health, for example, but you keep doing it anyway. You may have uncomfortable feelings about the bad habit, but you find ways to justify the behavior so you can keep smoking.
The psychology of cognitive dissonance is complex. According to Leon Festinger’s original theory, most people get uncomfortable when they experience inconsistencies in their own thoughts or actions. This mental discomfort, called dissonance, pushes you to make changes in your perspective or actions to avoid those negative feelings.
Festinger’s work inspired plenty of additional theories and experimental models. Some theories attempt to expand on, challenge, or reinterpret Festinger’s original proposal.
For example, the self-consistency theory proposes that dissonance is the result of a conflict between your behavior and your self-concept. You might see yourself as an honest person, so if you tell a lie, it conflicts with your self-concept.
You’re motivated to adopt beliefs or actions that reestablish a consistent self-concept. So, you might come clean about your lie. Or you may adjust your view of yourself, moving from “I’m always honest” to “I’m generally honest.”
Several other concepts explore different ways people handle cognitive dissonance. Some examples:
Effort justification. If you invest a lot of time, energy, or resources into something, you’ll be more inclined to believe it was a worthwhile effort. If you spend a lot of money on a new car, you might come up with reasons to justify why it was worth the price tag. Note that self-justification isn’t the same as lying. It’s about persuading yourself that you’ve done the right thing. You attempt to minimize the mistakes and bad decisions.
Belief disconfirmation. When confronted with evidence that contradicts your deeply held beliefs, you might be inclined to simply double down. You might deny the truth or come up with rationalizations to avoid abandoning your views. For example, if you find out that your close friend has been bullying their coworker, you might look for reasons to blame the victim—“She’s so nosey and obnoxious!”
Selective exposure. This concept implies that you’re more likely to seek out information that confirms what you already believe, and tune out information that contradicts your beliefs. For instance, if you believe a celebrity is a bad person, you’ll likely pay more attention to new stories that cover them unfavorably.
Cognitive dissonance can have both positive and negative consequences. Here are some everyday examples:
Environmental concerns. You drive a car daily, but you also strongly believe people should decrease carbon emissions. To resolve this conflict between your beliefs and actions, you might:
Health issues. Imagine you’re addicted to smoking but are aware of the health consequences. The contradiction between your actions and beliefs drags down your self-esteem. To resolve the issue, you tell yourself that smoking helps you de-stress, so it’s actually helpful in some way. Or you might look up evidence that suggests smoking isn’t as harmful as people say. There’s also a potentially healthy outcome: to resolve the dissonance, you quit smoking.
Financial decisions. You set a strict budget to save money. However, you slip up and make a big, unnecessary purchase. To resolve the regret you feel, you might downplay the importance of your budget. Or you may decide to work overtime or sell some other items to make up for the fact that you strayed from your budget.
Relationships. You’re in a steady relationship but notice your partner always cancels date plans. Two conflicting ideas (“This person loves me” and “This person doesn’t show up for me”) lead to dissonance. To resolve the internal conflict, you might convince yourself that your partner is just really busy with work or that you’re asking for too much of them. These types of justifications can be dangerous, as they might lead you to accept a one-sided or even abusive relationship. On the other hand, your dissonance could motivate you to end an unsatisfying or unhealthy relationship.
Workplace conflicts. Imagine you land a high-paying job but believe the company’s practices are unethical. You feel distress because you’re aware that your values are at conflict with your daily tasks. If unresolved, this type of professional dissonance can create stress and eventually burnout. However, you might ease your distress by searching for a job or career that’s better aligned with your values.
You can’t completely prevent cognitive dissonance in your life. However, it’s possible to reduce cognitive dissonance by changing your thoughts, changing your behaviors, or finding other ways to cope.
You can also seek out professional help if you find that the psychological discomfort is affecting your overall mental health and well-being.
Developing a better understanding of your priorities can help you identify and correct internal conflicts. The more important a particular value or belief is to you, the more likely you are to experience discomfort when you go against it.
Journal to cultivate self-awareness. One helpful journaling exercise simply involves identifying and clarifying your beliefs and values. What matters most to you? And why?
This exercise may make it easier to determine where strong dissonance is coming from and how to reduce it.
Know how dissonance commonly shows up for you. The signs of cognitive dissonance often differ from person to person.
Whenever you feel uncomfortable with your own choices and behavior, check in with yourself and look for signs that you’ve strayed from your core values and beliefs.
If conflicting beliefs are driving your dissonance, you can take steps to change your perspective. Cognitive restructuring, which is often used to address negative thinking patterns, may be useful here. This approach involves catching, checking, and changing thoughts.
Catch the conflicting beliefs. The first step is to notice and acknowledge when you’re experiencing cognitive dissonance. If you’re feeling an emotion like guilt, stress, or frustration, try to trace that emotion to a particular internal conflict. You might be frustrated because you feel obligated to do a favor for someone who treats you poorly. Or you may feel shame for being on a diet but indulging in ice cream from time to time.
Challenge your belief or attitude. Ask yourself, “Why do I feel obligated to help this person?” Or, “Is a small serving of ice cream really that bad?”
Replace the thought. Try, “I’m not obligated to help this person.” Or you can aim to rationalize the thought. “I can help them, as long as I assert clear boundaries in the future.” Or: “As long I eat well and exercise, a small amount of ice cream is not fatal to my diet or health.”
Seek out supportive information that reinforces your beliefs. Turn to friends who reassure you that you don’t have to do favors for people who treat you poorly. Or research some of the benefits of eating a little ice cream (it’s a good source of calcium and vitamins A and D).
Another approach is to adjust behaviors that conflict with your values. As your actions begin to align more closely with your beliefs, the discomfort you feel should decrease.
Aim to replace a behavior with a new one rather than simply drop an action. For example, you believe you need to save money, but you’re also a compulsive spender. The dissonance stresses you out. You can develop a habit of putting a certain amount of money in a savings account after payday. Make sure the goal you set is realistic.
Make it easy to perform the new behavior. For example, you want to build a habit of exercising as soon as you leave work, so you keep gym clothes in your car as a reminder. Or you ask a coworker to join you as an accountability buddy.
Be patient. It can take months for a new behavior to evolve into a habit. Consider tracking your progress to stay motivated. For example, you might keep an eye on how your savings account is growing, or keep a record of how often the exercise after work.
[Read: How to Break Bad Habits]
Research from 2020 found that mindfulness could potentially help you cope with dissonance. This could be because mindfulness involves accepting things as they are without judgment. So, it can help you accept dissonance without labeling it as “bad” or something that needs to be acted upon.
Visualize the flow of thoughts and feelings. One mindfulness exercise is to imagine your thoughts and feelings as items moving along a conveyor belt. As you stand in front of the passing items, you can choose to pick them up and label them “good” or “bad.” Or you can simply observe them with a nonjudgmental attitude, accepting them as they are.
Rely on your senses. In addition to learning to notice and accept your internal states, it might be helpful to do the same with external experiences. Take a moment to tune into a single sight, sound, smell, taste, or sensation. It could be the sound of traffic outside your window, or the smell and taste of a hot cup of tea. Allow it to take up your full attention and set aside the urge to label it.
Try out guided meditation practices. Meditation can help you be more aware of your thoughts, actions, and points of internal conflict. It can also help you practice self-compassion, relax, and accept dissonance through mindfulness.
People experience cognitive dissonance as unwanted stress. A little stress in your daily life is expected, but if it goes on too long, it can start affecting your mind and body. It’s important to take steps to manage your anxiety and stress before it progresses to burnout.
Exercise regularly. Physical activity helps release tension and can offer a much-needed mood boost when you’re feeling stressed and anxious. Try to build an exercise routine that you genuinely enjoy so you’re more likely to stick with it.
Cut back on habits that spike anxiety. For example, drinking too much coffee or using nicotine can make you feel more anxious than usual. Poor sleep hygiene can also elevate stress levels and make it harder to regulate your emotions.
Have a list of go-to relaxation techniques. Techniques like progressive muscle relaxation, breathing practices, and visualization can all help you find a sense of inner calm. Experiment with different relaxation techniques and take note of which ones work best for you.
A psychological concept known as “self-affirmation theory” offers another possible answer to managing dissonance.
According to this theory, if you have high self-esteem, you’re less likely to struggle with cognitive dissonance. As long as your overall view of yourself is positive, you’re able to move past perceived flaws and inconsistencies in your thoughts and behaviors. Use these steps to boost your self-esteem and build a healthier self-image.
Adjust your self-talk. Whether you notice it or not, your internal monologue can affect how you feel about yourself. Aim to be more attentive to that little voice in your head. Are you being kind and fair to yourself? Or overly critical? Try to reframe negative self-talk, such as “I’m a terrible cook,” to something more positive or neutral, such as “I can always learn new skills in the kitchen.”
Focus on your best traits. Create a list of things you really like about yourself. Maybe you see yourself as a resilient person or a hard worker. You can also include specific skills and talents. Perhaps you have an eye for design or are very athletic.
Revisit compliments. Sometimes, it’s easy to downplay the kindest words people have offered you. Write down some of the most memorable compliments you’ve received. You can take this a step further and write down some awards or accolades that have meant a lot to you.
Most of us experience cognitive dissonance from time to time. However, if the dissonance is consistently affecting your mental health or leading to behavioral issues, it’s wise to seek professional help. Here are a few reasons you might turn to a therapist for help:
Whether you seek therapy in-person or via an online therapy platform, a professional can guide you through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques, such as adjusting your conflicting beliefs and attitudes. They can also help you come up with an action plan to align your behaviors and values, build self-esteem, and cultivate acceptance.
BetterHelp is an online therapy service that matches you to licensed, accredited therapists who can help with depression, anxiety, relationships, and more. Take the assessment and get matched with a therapist in as little as 48 hours.
Take Assessment HelpGuide is user supported. We earn a commission if you sign up for BetterHelp’s services after clicking through from this site. Learn moreCognitive dissonance can be a normal part of life since we’re all bound to hold contradictory views at some point. However, when it’s intense or left unresolved, psychological discomfort can begin to affect your sense of self and quality of life. Conflicting thoughts or behaviors result in emotional states like guilt, regret, or shame.
Once you understand the psychology of cognitive dissonance, you’ll find there are many ways to manage it. In many cases, the discomfort you feel can actually motivate you to adopt behaviors that are more aligned with your core beliefs.
Last updated or reviewed on November 13, 2024
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