Cognitive Dissonance
So, it's late, and I need to get to bed, but I'm just being a little bit restless at the moment, even though I've been sort of in a down all day. It's really bizarre. I don't know why, but today has featured a lack of gung-ho-ness, giddy-uped-ness, endorphins and serotonin. However, I'm feeling like I couldn't sleep. So I will post.
Yesterday and today in IB Psychology, we learned about a theoretical concept called "Cognitive Dissonance." By the way, though it's still a theory technically because there is no such thing as a law in the world of psychology, it's been used as an accepted explanation since 70s or 80s, and is assumed accurate today. It got me to thinking. For a short explanation: Cognitive dissonance literally translated means "thoughts out of tune." Basically, it's what happens when someone does something contrary to their own beliefs, and therefore experiences a stress that will illicit one of two responses: a change in behavior or a change in belief. To illustrate the point, the study that Festinger, the formulator of said theory, used to support his theory featured two groups of people that were told to lie to another group. One group was given $20 to lie, the other group $1. This is the late 50s or early 60s, don't remember. So that will give you an idea of how much money this is or is not. They found that in order to lie, the $1 had actually CHANGED their opinion of the subject of their fib, where the $20 group did nothing of the kind. They attributed this to the fact that the $20 group didn't experience as much stress from the cognitive dissonance, because they felt that they had due compensation and justification-- the $20. The $1 group didn't feel that $1 was enough to lie for, so they had to eliminate their cognitive dissonance in some other way, aka, convincing themselves that they weren't lying.
It made me think of how in our lives, we have cognitive dissonance everyday. What do we do for this cognitive dissonance to diminish? Do we change our beliefs, our actions, or do we justify with some other rationalization. When we do something that we do not believe in, or believe to be wrong, what do we do? That's the question. That's why we're here folks. Nope, it's not enough to just believe it, you have to do it. Why? Firstly, because that's what we're told to do. Secondly, because faith without works really is dead. If we put ourselves into these situations of cognitive dissonance, we will change our minds, and we won't believe. You can't say that you believe or whatever and then go off and rob a corner store. It doesn't work. Soon you won't believe anymore...either that or you better stop robbing those corner stores. Don't let the cognitive dissonance take over.
Yesterday and today in IB Psychology, we learned about a theoretical concept called "Cognitive Dissonance." By the way, though it's still a theory technically because there is no such thing as a law in the world of psychology, it's been used as an accepted explanation since 70s or 80s, and is assumed accurate today. It got me to thinking. For a short explanation: Cognitive dissonance literally translated means "thoughts out of tune." Basically, it's what happens when someone does something contrary to their own beliefs, and therefore experiences a stress that will illicit one of two responses: a change in behavior or a change in belief. To illustrate the point, the study that Festinger, the formulator of said theory, used to support his theory featured two groups of people that were told to lie to another group. One group was given $20 to lie, the other group $1. This is the late 50s or early 60s, don't remember. So that will give you an idea of how much money this is or is not. They found that in order to lie, the $1 had actually CHANGED their opinion of the subject of their fib, where the $20 group did nothing of the kind. They attributed this to the fact that the $20 group didn't experience as much stress from the cognitive dissonance, because they felt that they had due compensation and justification-- the $20. The $1 group didn't feel that $1 was enough to lie for, so they had to eliminate their cognitive dissonance in some other way, aka, convincing themselves that they weren't lying.
It made me think of how in our lives, we have cognitive dissonance everyday. What do we do for this cognitive dissonance to diminish? Do we change our beliefs, our actions, or do we justify with some other rationalization. When we do something that we do not believe in, or believe to be wrong, what do we do? That's the question. That's why we're here folks. Nope, it's not enough to just believe it, you have to do it. Why? Firstly, because that's what we're told to do. Secondly, because faith without works really is dead. If we put ourselves into these situations of cognitive dissonance, we will change our minds, and we won't believe. You can't say that you believe or whatever and then go off and rob a corner store. It doesn't work. Soon you won't believe anymore...either that or you better stop robbing those corner stores. Don't let the cognitive dissonance take over.
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