Almost half a century ago social psychologist leon festinger developed the cognitive dissonance theory festinger, 1957. Leon festinger introduced cognitive dissonance theory in a 1957 book, a theory of cognitive dissonance. All books are in clear copy here, and all files are secure so dont worry about it. They included the theory of cognitive dissonance developed by leon festinger in the 1950s. Download cognitive dissonance theory leon festinger 1957 book pdf free download link or read online here in pdf.
Sep 05, 2019 leon festinger leon festinger, the creator of a revolutionary experiment. The theory of cognitive dissonance festinger, 1957. A cognitive dissonance approach harvard university. Leon festinger s 1957 a theory of cognitive dissonance is a key text in the history of psychology one that made its author one of the most influential social psychologists of his time. Dissonance theory was an attempt to determine, at a more basic, purely cognitive level, the origin of. Leon festinger, an introduction to the theory of cognitive.
The theory of cognitive dissonance was molded by leon festinger at the beginning of the 1950s. It is also a prime example of how creative thinking and problem solving skills can come together to produce work that changes the way. Leon festingers theory of cognitive dissonance has been widely recognized for its important and influential concepts in areas of motivation and social psychology. Festingers theory of cognitive dissonance has been one. A theory of cognitive dissonance download pdfepub ebook. It holds that dissonance is experienced whenever one cognition that a person holds follows from the opposite of at least one other cognition that the person holds. Cognitive dissonance theory leon festinger 1957 pdf. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. Understanding cognitive dissonance in smoking behaviour. Festingers theory said that when a person holds contradictory elements in cognition producing an unpleasant state called dissonance the person will work to bring the elements back into agreement or congruence.
An introduction to cognitive dissonance theory 5 the reason it has been so generative is that the theory was stated in very general, highly abstract terms. In general, social psychologists, always looking for the next great theory, seemed to have shelved this book and its concepts within a couple of decades after it came out in 1957 see leon festinger s comments 30 years later in appendix b of cognitive dissonance progress on a pivotal theory in social. Cognitive dissonance is the negative feeling that results from conflicting beliefs and behaviors. As a consequence, it can be applied to a wide variety of psychological topics involving the interplay of cognition, motivation, and emotion. Aug 20, 2016 cognitive dissonance theory theorized by leon festinger states when we have two beliefs, actions, or sentiments that conflict with one another, we go through an aversive emotional state or. Green berets ultralight bug out bag with gear recommendations duration. Leon festinger 8 may 1919 11 february 1989 was an american social psychologist, perhaps best known for cognitive dissonance and social comparison theory.
Here are presented all the main aspects of the theory. According to festinger, cognitive dissonance occurs when peoples thoughts and feelings are inconsistent with their behavior, which results in an uncomfortable, disharmonious feeling. Cognitive dissonance leon festinger according to cognitive dissonance theory, there is a tendency for individuals to seek consistency among their cognitions i. According to dissonance theory, selfesteem is threatened by inconsistency. From this grant, he was able to write his first document on the social comparison theory and published it in the journal of human relations in 1954. Leon festinger was a wellknown american social psychologist. In a time of abundant information, the risk of picking up only those data that support our previous convictions is always there. As noted in the video, when dissonance involves moral issues, it is often called moral dissonance or ethical. It is also a prime example of how creative thinking and problem solving skills can come together to produce work that changes the way people look at. It has generated hundreds and hundreds of studies, from which much has been learned. Leon festinger, born may 8, 1919, brooklyn, new york, u. The number of variations within this approach to selfevaluation regulation is also substantial.
Originally published in the journal of abnormal and social psychology in 1959, cognitive consequences of forced compliance by leon festinger and james carlsmith was the first of numerous studies to corroborate the theory of cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance theory leon festinger 1957 pdf book. Dissonance theory was an attempt to determine, at a more basic, purely cognitive level, the origin of such pressures. Leon festinger leon festinger cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance theory after 50 years of development. The original version of the theory leon festinger formulated the original theory of cognitive dissonance in the mid1950s, and the first formal and complete presentation of the theory appeared in 1957. Festingers 1957 cognitive dissonance theory suggests that we have an inner drive to hold all our attitudes and behavior in harmony and avoid disharmony or dissonance. Festinger used the same term, dissonance, to refer to the discrepancy between cognitions and to psychological discomfort. A little more than 60 years ago, leon festinger published a theory of cognitive dissonance 1957. Cognitive dissonance brings about a need to justify actions that are contradictory to our belief system. Leon festingers theory of cognitive dissonance networked. Carlsmith is the classic study on reprinted from journal of abnormal and social psychology, 58. Dissonance spring is an international small group meeting for researchers interested in cognitive conflict models with a focus on cognitive dissonance theory, to be held in may 2020.
Leon festinger first developed the theory of cognitive dissonance through social psychology in 1957. People hold many different cognitions about their world, e. It suggests that inconsistencies among cognitions i. The magnitude of dissonance is directly proportional to the number of discrepant cognitions and inversely proportional to the number of consonant. His theory of cognitive dissonance is especially relevant to social psychology, especially in the areas of motivation and group dynamics. When there is an inconsistency between attitudes or behaviors dissonance, something must change to eliminate the dissonance. The theory of dissonance is here applied to the problem of why partial reward, delay of reward, and effort expenditure during training result in increased resistance to extinction. In this paper, we are primarily interested in festingers theory as one of a diverse range of theories of human communication. Inasmuch as festinger s theory is concerned with attitude change and attempts to discern how persuasive messages are processed in the minds of listeners, there is no doubt that it may be regarded as a communication theory. It holds that dissonance is experienced whenever one. Alittle more than 60 years ago, leon festinger published a theory of cognitive. Pdf a theory of cognitive dissonance semantic scholar.
This is known as the principle of cognitive consistency. Leon festinger and james carlsmith proposed the term cognitive dissonance which is every individual has his or her festinger, l. Jan 10, 2018 leon festingers cognitive dissonance theory. Leon festingerleon festinger, the creator of a revolutionary experiment. This is chapter one of leon festinger, a theory of cognitive dissonance. Keech, reported receiving messages from extraterrestrial aliens that the world would end in a great flood on a specific date. A major theory in social psychology is known as cognitive dissonance. Inconsistency among beliefs or behaviors will cause an uncomfortable psychological tension. Cognitive dissonance 1 theory paper cognitive dissonance.
He has the honor of establishing the experimentation techniques in social psychology to an advanced level. Cognitive dissonance an overview sciencedirect topics. That brings us to the next point, namely the categorization of cognitive dissonance theory. An example of this approach is cognitive dissonance theory festinger 1957. This article was originally published in the encyclopedia. Cognitive dissonance theory has been known to play out in several ways. While at the university of minnesota, festinger read about a cult that believed that the end of the world was at hand. Abstractcognitive dissonance occurs when ones belief is contradicting with the behavior, according to festingers cognitive dissonance theory. It is also a prime example of how creative thinking and problem solving skills can come together to produce work that changes the way people look at questions for good.
In a theory of cognitive dissonance 1957, leon festinger proposed that human beings strive for internal psychological consistency to function mentally in the real world. Cognitive dissonance teaching notes ethics unwrapped. Cognitive dissonance theory social emotive neuroscience lab. Cognitive dissonance theory an overview sciencedirect topics. Cognitive dissonance theory links actions and attitudes. The cognitive dissonance theory and its function in public.
This article was originally published in the encyclopedia of. His first hypothesis states that there exist, in the human organism, a drive to evaluate his opinions and abilities. Welcome,you are looking at books for reading, the a theory of cognitive dissonance, you will able to read or download in pdf or epub books and notice some of author may have lock the live reading for some of country. Festinger s 1957 cognitive dissonance theory suggests that we have an inner drive to hold all our attitudes and behavior in harmony and avoid disharmony or dissonance. One of the last times leon festinger saw his father was in a nursing home in. Inasmuch as festingers theory is concerned with attitude change and attempts to discern how persuasive messages are processed in the minds of listeners, there is no doubt that it may be regarded as a communication theory. Nov 11, 2011 the full length of the festinger experiment video. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. Indeed, the concept of cognitive dissonance has entered popular speech, even political campaigns. Leon festingers 1957 a theory of cognitive dissonance is a key text in the history of psychology one that made its author one of the most influential social psychologists of his time. Leon festinger was the first psychologist to study cognitive dissonance around the 1950s, and his works, such as books and experiments, helped to shed light on the ways in which humans act to decrease cognitive dissonance. A person who experiences internal inconsistency tends to become psychologically uncomfortable and is motivated to reduce the cognitive dissonance.
Introduced by leon festinger in 1957 in his book, a theory of cognitive dissonance, the cognitive dissonance theory focuses on how we as human beings always strive hard to make sure that our beliefs and actions are aligned with each other. Examples and practical applications of cognitive dissonance. Jun 11, 2017 leon festinger mentioned his hypotheses in his book entitled social comparison processes that gives substantial exploration of his theory. An introduction to cognitive dissonance theory and an.
Leon festinger s theory of cognitive dissonance has been widely recognized for its important and influential concepts in areas of motivation and social psychology. Cognitive dissonance theory leon festinger 1957 the feeling people have when they find themselves doing things that dont fit with what they know, or having opinions that do not fit with other opinions they hold. Before understanding how this theory relates to public relations, it is important to get a wellrounded understanding of what cognitive dissonance is. Leon festinger and cognitive dissonance exploring your mind. Festingers theory of cognitive dissonance has been one of the most in. The psychological fields generated the concept and theory of cognitive dissonance e. His theories and research are credited with renouncing the previously dominant behaviorist view of social psychology by demonstrating the inadequacy of stimulusresponse conditioning accounts of human behavior. Leon festinger developed the cognitive dissonance theory festinger, 1957 dissonance occurs when a person perceives a logical inconsistency in their beliefs, when one idea implies the opposite of another. Read online cognitive dissonance theory leon festinger 1957 book pdf free download link book now. These two concepts are theoretically distinct and the first is now referred to as cognitive inconsistency an introduction to cognitive dissonance theory and. Leon festinger formulated the original theory of cognitive dissonance in the mid1950s, and the first formal and com plete presentation of the theory appeared in.
Leon festinger, one such noted social psychologist, explained that people, in the course of their daily lives, hold a myriad of cognitions simultaneously. In general, social psychologists, always looking for the next great theory, seemed to have shelved this book and its concepts within a couple of decades after it came out in 1957 see leon festingers comments 30 years later in appendix b of cognitive dissonance progress on a. In the early 1950s, the behavioral sciences division of the ford foundation gave leon festinger a grant, which was part of the program of the laboratory for research in social relations. Leon festinger formulated the original theory of cognitive dis sonance in the mid1950s, and the first formal and complete presentation of the theory appeared in. Cognitive dissonance theory has had a more illustrious career than its politicalscience and sociological equivalents. Psychologist leon festinger first described the theory of cognitive dissonance in 1957. This lack of consistency between various cognitions is known as dissonance. Leon festingers social comparison theory the psychology. In the rest of the book many behavioural facts supporting the theory are put forward. The main idea underlying cognitive dissonance is that if a person knows of things inconsistent psychologically, he would try in ways to make them consistent. An alternative conceptualization was proposed by festinger s theory of cognitive dissonance festinger, 1957, which asserted that organisms are motivated to reduce dissonance, defined as an incompatibility between internal cognitive structures and the situations currently perceived. When there is an inconsistency between attitudes or behaviors dissonance, something must change to eliminate the. The magnitude of dissonance is directly proportional to the number of discrepant cognitions and inversely proportional to the number of consonant cognitions that a person has. Leon festinger formulated the original theory of cognitive dissonance in the mid 1950s, and the first formal and com plete presentation of the theory appeared in.
But even before festinger was the greek fabulist aesop. Cognitive dissonance theory an overview sciencedirect. The distressing aversive mental state termed cognitive dissonance is therefore conceptualized as an aversive drive. Cognitive dissonance theory theorized by leon festinger states when we have two beliefs, actions, or sentiments that conflict with one another, we go through an aversive emotional state or. A psychologist by the name of leon festinger came up with the idea of cognitive dissonance way back in the late 1950s, and did a heap of pioneering work in. Cognitivedissonancetheory after50yearsofdevelopment. Festinger s theory said that when a person holds contradictory elements in cognition producing an unpleasant state called dissonance the person will work to bring the elements back into agreement or congruence. In this lesson, well talk about the psychological theory of cognitive dissonance, and a famous experiment done by psychologist leon festinger, who developed the theory of. Teaching notes for cognitive dissonance page 1 of 4 cognitive dissonance this video introduces the notion of cognitive dissonance, which has been a popular term in psychology since leon festinger coined it in the 1950s.
Born on 8 th may, 1919, he was the pioneer of social comparison and cognitive dissonance theory. Hence, in smokers case, knowing cigarettes will cause harm on their health yet they are smoking. The following article by leon festinger and james m. The mental clash or tension resulting from the processes of acquiring knowledge or understanding through the senses is called cognitive dissonance. Another argument that may support the use of the environmental frame for animal advocacy is related with behavioral and attitudinal change. This site is like a library, you could find million book here by using search box in the header. May 11, 2012 theory of cognitive dissonance the theory of cognitive dissonance has been the subject of interest and study of social psychologists in particular. This is the feeling of discomfort from two conflicting thoughts, it may increase or. The cognitive dissonance experiment is based on the theory of cognitive dissonance proposed by leon festinger in the year 1957. This work is a clearly stated theory on how humans think, decide, and defend their decisions. Festinger was an american social psychologist who was born in new york in 1919.
319 4 123 469 1082 340 971 880 306 1027 1357 1126 642 329 860 421 1477 1607 1393 135 432 477 1056 1118 1393 698 1102 849 580 1183 700 59