cognitive dissonance

Meaning

This term refers to the mental discomfort or tension that occurs when a person holds two contradictory beliefs, values, or ideas at the same time. It also happens when a person's behavior clashes with their deeply held beliefs. In academic contexts, especially psychology, sociology, and marketing, it is used to explain human behavior, decision-making, and defense mechanisms.

Examples

• Buying a luxury car while worrying about debt caused him deep cognitive dissonance.

  Buying a luxury car while worrying about debt caused him deep cognitive dissonance.

• The study examines how consumers resolve cognitive dissonance after making an expensive purchase.

  The study examines how consumers resolve cognitive dissonance after making an expensive purchase.

• Smokers often experience cognitive dissonance because they know the habit is harmful to their health.

  Smokers often experience cognitive dissonance because they know the habit is harmful to their health.

• To reduce cognitive dissonance, people often ignore evidence that contradicts their political views.

  To reduce cognitive dissonance, people often ignore evidence that contradicts their political views.

• The sudden shift in the company's ethical policy created cognitive dissonance among the employees.

  The sudden shift in the company's ethical policy created cognitive dissonance among the employees.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I feel a cognitive dissonant about my career choice.

  ✓ I feel cognitive dissonance about my career choice.

  Dissonant is an adjective. You need the noun form 'dissonance' to describe the state of mental conflict.

• ✗ She had a cognitive dissonance between her words and actions.

  ✓ She experienced cognitive dissonance due to the clash between her words and actions.

  Cognitive dissonance is typically an uncountable state of mind. Instead of 'having a cognitive dissonance', use 'experiencing cognitive dissonance' or 'feeling cognitive dissonance'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• When people are presented with facts that challenge their worldview, they often experience ___.

  💡 The mental discomfort of holding conflicting ideas.

  Show answer

  cognitive dissonance

• Her decision to work for a fossil fuel company despite being an environmentalist caused major ___.

  💡 The psychological tension between actions and beliefs.

  Show answer

  cognitive dissonance