Learning Contributors. One of the most popular cognitive approaches to the study of motivation has been the theory of cognitive dissonance, first systematically studied by the American psychologist Leon Festinger. Humans are sensitive to inconsistencies between actions and beliefs. It's common for humans to deal with cognitive dissonance. According to the theory, we all recognize, at some level, when we are acting in a way that is inconsistent with our beliefs/attitudes/opinions. Cognitive View : Description. Inconsistency creates tension, which is unpleasant.  Cognitive psychology became of great importance in the mid-1950s. Introduced by Leon Festinger in 1957—and since that time debated, refined, and debated again by psychologists—cognitive dissonance is defined as the aversive state of arousal that occurs when a person holds two or … i do things that show my beliefs. Several factors were important in this: Disatisfaction with the behaviorist approach in its simple emphasis on external behavior rather than internal processes. Inconsistency among beliefs or behaviors will cause an uncomfortable psychological tension. 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. Assumptions of Cognitive Dissonance Theory 1) Human beings desire consistency in their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors Stability and consistency 2) Dissonance is created by psychological inconsistencies It refers to the fact that cognitions must be psychologically inconsistent with one another to arouse cognitive dissonance. For example, turning pegs (as in Festinger's experiment) is an artificial task that doesn’t happen in … This theory proposed that people attempt to maintain consistency … Other assumptions related to this theory are: People feel uncertain in initial interpersonal communication. Cognitive dissonance has been an important and influential theory since Leon Festinger published his classic work in 1957. Assumptions of Cognitive Dissonance Theory. Psychological processes and prior knowledge intervene between the stimulus and the response. assumptions. This means that the response is not always predictable (thus contradicting Behavioral theories) ... Critical Theory. People strive to be consistent with their cognitions. Inconsistency among beliefs or behaviors will cause an uncomfortable psychological tension. Festinger argues that there are three possible relationships among cognitions (thoughts, ideas): consonance, dissonance, and irrelevance. i do things that show my beliefs. Here, Joel Cooper presents a comprehensive analysis of the state of dissonance theory, charting the progress of the theory and assessing its impact. They want to be consistent with their thoughts, attitudes and behaviors. (1) Example: if i care about the children future. Cognitive dissonance theory is based on three fundamental assumptions. ; The development of better experimental methods. Humans are sensitive to inconsistencies between actions and beliefs. Cognitive Dissonance Theory: According to Leon Festinger’s theory of cognitive dissonance: Humans have an inner drive that keeps their thoughts and behaviors in harmony. In addition, we present major revisions and alternative interpretations of the theory. Uncertainty reduction theory is based on the central assumption that the primary concern of strangers upon initial interaction is to reduce uncertainty and increase predictability. It is somewhat like the assumptions of Congruity Theory, except that Dissonance is not limited to situations in which a Source makes an Assertion about an attitude Object. Assumptions of Uncertainty Reduction Theory. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Dissonance Theory Glossary References Self-test: Cognitive Dissonance Theory Another form of consistency theory is Cognitive Dissonance Theory, developed by Leon Festinger (1957). [Leon Festinger] -- Leon Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance has been widely recognized for its important and influential concepts in areas of motivation and social psychology. A theory of cognitive dissonance.