Cognitive Dissonance and Learning

Look at the image above these words and try to follow the instructions. Is it as simple as you thought? I will wager that it was harder than you originally thought, yes? This is an example of cognitive dissonance.

In 1956 the U.S. psychologist Leon Festinger introduced a new concept in social psychology: the theory of cognitive dissonance. When two simultaneously held cognitions are inconsistent, this will produce a state of cognitive dissonance. Because the experience of dissonance is unpleasant, the person will strive to reduce it by changing their beliefs. It is the feeling of uncomfortable tension which comes when one holds two conflicting thoughts in the mind at the same time. According to most learning theorists, the basic idea behind cognitive dissonance theory is that people do not like to have dissonant cognitions (cognitions are simple bits of knowledge). In fact, many argue that the desire to have consonant cognitions is as strong as our basic desires for food and shelter. I would argue differently, but as a result of these beliefs, many believe that when someone does experience two or more dissonant cognitions (or conflicting thoughts), they will attempt to do away with the dissonance. They will strive towards consistency of thought in many different ways.

There are several ways most of us overcome, or eliminate, cognitive dissonance according to the theory. One is by ignoring or eliminating the dissonant cognitions. For example, if you have a vice that is not healthy you may justify it by believing it is not as bad as people say. Smoking is one example of cognitive dissonance as many have been told the dangers of smoking but continue to justify its use.

Another way to overcome cognitive dissonance is to alter the importance (or lack thereof) of certain cognitions. If one of the dissonant cognitions outweighs the other in importance, your mind has less trouble dealing with the dissonance -- justifying the vice that is not healthy.

Yet another way that people respond to cognitive dissonance is by adding or creating new cognitions. Creating or emphasizing new cognitions, allows one to overwhelm the fact that a certain vice is unhealthy. These new cognitions actually lessen dissonance by adding more options on top of the one unhealthy option thus justifying its continued use. The idea is that one has many more healthy options than the one unhealthy option thus outweighing the unhealthy one.

The most common and most effective way people deal with cognitive dissonance is to prevent it. If someone is presented with information that is dissonant from what they already know, the simplest way for the mind to deal with this new information is to just ignore it, refuse to accept it, or avoid that type of information all together.

As Christians, we deal with cognitive dissonance all day long. Our beliefs are very different than the current beliefs being promoted as reality. As one tries to live out one's faith consistently, one will experience cognitive dissonance as the world promotes and pushes a worldview and a mindset polar opposite to the one held by most Christians.

Cognitive dissonance is also a tool used in education. Creating dissonance can induce behavior or attitude change. By creating cognitive dissonance, your teacher forced you, as a student, to respond and react. A student will be encouraged to learn when the teacher creates dissonance between what a student thinks they know entering the classroom and what the student actually does know.

Teaching creates dissonance and in a learning environment, where it is done in every classroom all day long, a student's attitude and behavior will change because that student will strive for consistency of thought, and the most consistent thought in a student's day are those of the student's teachers, administration and peers. This is yet another example of the power of education and why Christian education is so very important. Blessings!