Original article explanation

January 29, 2023

My theory that I chose to study this semester is Cognitive Dissonance theory by Leon Festinger. This theory’s original article was part of the Scientific American Offprints book, volume 207 in October of 1962. Cognitive Dissonance is more of a psychological theory that can also be applied to communication theories in many ways. Leon Festinger, the author of the original article of cognitive dissonance, states that cognitive dissonance is “the subject of a new theory based on experiments showing that the grass is usually not greener on the other side of the fence and that grapes are sourest when they are in easy reach.” 

In the original article, Festinger explains the theory as when things are not psychologically connected or consistent, the human brain will try to make them more consistent and match in many different ways. In the text, Festinger uses the example of dissonance consequences of lying. When a person’s individual, private belief is different from his public belief, that person can experience dissonance, from large amounts to small amounts, depending on how strong their two different beliefs are and how different they are from each other. In this instance, Festinger claims that cognitive dissonance can be reduced by removing or changing either the public or private beliefs. The changing of private opinions would be easier than changing or withdrawing a public statement, and so a person tends to change his private beliefs in order to line up with their proclaimed public ones. 

Festinger also illustrates through two other examples of how cognitive dissonance forms and how it can be reduced. The first example is when two different attractive options are involved, and a person picks one over another, even though these other certain attractive features conflict with the rejection of that attraction. The other example of cognitive dissonance Festinger uses is of the consequences of resisting temptation. When someone does not get what they want, the results are either that goal lessens its value to the person, or it enhances its value. When a goal seems hard to achieve, there is very little dissonance when not achieving the goal, making the goal seem to have enhanced value because of how difficult it is. An example of this would be getting into an Ivy League school like Harvard University that has a low acceptance rate. Because of their low acceptance rate and prestige, the prospect of getting into that school seems more special and enhanced because it is not as likely. On the other hand, when a goal seems easy to achieve, it can be degraded and people will lessen its value because it seems like an easier achievement. People will degrade that achievement because there is cognitive dissonance when actually achieving the social normality of getting that specific goal because of the lack of uniqueness and specialness this goal has. 

Overall, the cognitive dissonance theory can be used to predict and control peoples’ behaviors when certain situations arise. For example, when certain situations like politics in which a person’s public statements about their beliefs can be totally different from their personal beliefs, we can use this theory to predict that the politician will change either their personal or public beliefs in order for them to match better. This will create less dissonance in that individual’s mind and relationship with politics, in order for them to be more content and consistent. As I’ve explained, this theory is very useful when two or more pieces of knowledge or things are psychologically inconsistent, as well as trying to control and improve that inconsistent, unsure state of mind. By recognizing and evaluating that these events around you are causing that cognitive dissonance, you can then change your beliefs or behaviors in order to get that unsure, uncomfortable state of mind to go away or change.