What does the term "cognitive dissonance" refer to?

Cognitive dissonance refers to the mental discomfort or tension that arises when an individual holds two or more conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes simultaneously. This discomfort often leads to an inner struggle as the person tries to reconcile these conflicting ideas, which can result in changes in thought processes, behaviors, or attitudes to achieve psychological consistency.

This concept, first introduced by Leon Festinger in the 1950s, highlights how individuals are motivated to reduce dissonance to maintain a sense of harmony in their beliefs and actions. For instance, if someone values health but smokes cigarettes, they may experience cognitive dissonance due to the conflict between their health beliefs and their smoking behavior.

Addressing cognitive dissonance can lead to various outcomes, such as changing one of the conflicting beliefs, justifying the behavior, or seeking new information that aligns with one belief while dismissing conflicting information. Understanding this concept is fundamental in various fields, including psychology and behavioral economics, as it explains a significant amount of human behavior and decision-making processes.