This could include changes in behavior or attempts to ignore information that contradicts a goal or desire. For example, a smoker might quit smoking or instead rationalize their behavior by saying other habits are just as dangerous. One example of this type of psychological research is the studies originally done by Leon Festinger in the 1950’s. This term simply means that when we have two conflicting thoughts (cognitions), or if we behave in ways that conflict with our beliefs or values, we experience an unpleasant feeling of cognitive dissonance.
Impact on Trust and Intimacy
When you do something or behave a certain way that goes against your values, you may experience cognitive dissonance. This clash of beliefs and disruption of thought can also occur if you have two or more conflicting beliefs and you’re torn between them. Cognitive dissonance may help you make positive changes in your life, but it can also be destructive, especially when you look for ways to rationalize and continue harmful behaviors. If you’re experiencing cognitive dissonance and addiction cognitive dissonance, it’s best to ask yourself if the strategies you’re using to cope with it will result in a positive long-term outcome. In fact, according to Cooper (2007), “Festinger’s insistence that cognitive dissonance was like a drive that needed to be reduced implied that people were going to have to find some way of resolving their inconsistencies. People do not just prefer to eat, rather than starve; they are biologically driven to eat.
How To Resolve Cognitive Dissonance
The results of the structural model’s path coefficients are shown in Table 6 and Figure 2. Adolescent exposures to other substances of abuse, such as alcohol, cannabis, and MDMA, also cause persistent disruptions of cognition (Brown et al., 2000; O’Shea, McGregor, and Mallet, 2006; Piper and Meyer, 2004; Stiglick and Kalant, 1982). These findings indicate that the adolescent brain, which is still developing, is susceptible to insult from drug use and abuse, and such insult can result in long-lasting changes in affect and cognition. The effects of https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/why-does-alcohol-cause-bruising/ prenatal tobacco exposure are particularly concerning because so many expectant mothers smoke—by one estimate, over 10 percent in the United States (Hamilton et al., 2007). In utero exposure to tobacco byproducts has been linked to cognitive deficits in laboratory animals and human adolescents (Dwyer, Broide, and Leslie, 2008). Some studies suggest that such exposure can lower general intelligence; for example, one found a 12-point gap in full-scale IQ between exposed and unexposed middle-class adolescents (e.g., Fried, Watkinson, and Gray, 2003).
- To reduce discomfort, they may quit smoking or find rationales to justify their behavior, such as believing the negative effects are exaggerated.
- This finding suggests that information overload may be a significant concern for platform operators, as it can result in negative user experiences and ultimately impact user retention.
- Subjects were placed in either a dissonance- based eating disorder program or a more traditional education intervention, (in which they received educational materials).
- These defense mechanisms protect their deep-rooted beliefs about themselves and substances.
- A state of mental consonance feels better to us, and means that we have somehow reconciled our conflicting beliefs, or we have reconciled our behavior and our beliefs so they are in agreement again (Cooper and Carlsmith, 2002).
- Addressing cognitive dissonance in the recovery process requires addiction specialists to have a deep understanding of their clients’ conflicting beliefs and emotions.
Discussing discrepant behavior
We are driven to reconcile those conflicting thoughts, beliefs, and desires or behaviors to preserve harmony in our minds and make ourselves feel rationally better. A partner feeling guilty about their own shortcomings might focus excessively on their partner’s flaws, shifting blame and reducing their own discomfort. Cognitive dissonance theory indicates that individuals distort information to align with their existing beliefs, affecting self-perception and perception of others (Cooper, 2007).
GENES, DRUGS, AND COGNITION
If you or someone you know is struggling with a drug or alcohol problem, we offer intervention planning services that can help the individual realize their problem and their need for care. Cognitive dissonance suggests that addicts may modify their reasoning processes to support the satisfaction of impulses. For an addict, while craving, the world is experienced in a very different way compared to the way when the craving is satisfied. Craving distorts addicts’ ability to process information in a manner that promotes drug use. For example, while craving, the decision to smoke just one cigarette is viewed in a more favorable light.