This incompatibility (dissonance) can happen when you do something that goes against one of your values. Or you may learn new information that doesn't match a long-held belief or opinion. For example, eating meat even though you love animals. Have you ever noticed that some of your actions contradict your beliefs? This is an example of cognitive dissonance.
Cognitive dissonance can even influence how people feel and see themselves, leading to negative feelings of self-esteem and self-esteem. In romantic relationships, important values represent critical points of cognitive dissonance and are generally focused on important decisions, such as the desire to have children or lifestyle choices (for example, the term cognitive dissonance is used to describe mental distress that results from having two conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes). Changing behavior to align with your thoughts and values can reduce or eliminate cognitive dissonance. However, contrary to what some people believe, cognitive dissonance is not the same as hypocrisy.
Sometimes, the ways in which people resolve cognitive dissonance contribute to unhealthy behaviors or poor choices. In addition to these emotional experiences, cognitive dissonance can also inspire a change in your behavior or beliefs. The discrepancy between attitude and behavior (eating a donut thinking about reducing calorie intake) causes a psychological discomfort called cognitive dissonance (Harmon-Jones, 201. The importance of cognitive dissonance in understanding and treating victims of intimate partner violence. Anything that generates an internal conflict between two concepts or behaviors can cause cognitive dissonance.
In A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, Leon Festinger (the psychologist who first described this phenomenon) offers an example of how a person can address dissonance related to health behavior by talking about people who continue to smoke, even though they know that it is harmful to their health. Forced compliance, when you're pressured to do or say something you'd rather not do, can cause cognitive dissonance. Remember that cognitive dissonance has to do with how you feel inside when you go against what you believe, either by choice or by circumstances. Since cognitive dissonance often occurs naturally after a decision, such as a purchase, this is what the questionnaires have focused on.
