Cognitive dissonance is explained by Leon Festinger as "the distressing mental state in which people find themselves doing things that don't fit with what they know, or having opinions that do not fit with other opinions they hold."

No one enjoys the feeling of dissonance. It is as important to relieve these feelings as it is to be safe or well fed. Festinger feels the tension of dissonance motivates us to change either our behavior or our belief in order to eliminate the uneasy feelings we suffer.

Hypothesis 1: Selective Exposure Prevents Dissonance
We tend to avoid information that goes against our beliefs. If you are against harsh lyrics in music, you would not buy an album with a warning for explicit lyrics. Buying this type of material would leave you with an uneasy feeling, or dissonant feeling.

Hypothesis 2: Postdecision Dissonance Creates A Need for Reassurance
After we make decisions, we may feel uncertain we did what we should have. For example, did you buy the right car? Should you have gone with a used car or less options? We tend to look for reasons to support our decisions or convince ourselves we did what was best.

Hypothesis 3: Minimal Justification for Action Induces a Shift in Attitude

Behavior affects Attitude

Dissonance can cause unwanted problems. Please, read the work our group completed on cognitive dissonance. We hope you learn something that you will find useful.

Check out Marion's reseach report on Cognitive Dissonance Research

See how Sara applied the theory of Cognitive Dissonance Application

Here is an informative critique by Brad on Cognitive Dissonance Critique

Here is another site to visit to learn more about Cognitive Dissonance Cognitive Dissonance