the feeling of uncomfortable tension which comes from holding two conflicting thoughts in the mind at the same time. i.e., why most political conservatives only watch TV broadcasts of the Republican convention and liberals stick to coverage of the Democratic conclave. The tendency people have to avoid information that would create cognitive dissonance because it is incompatible with their current beliefs. According to Festinger, cognitive dissonance occurs when people’s thoughts and feelings are inconsistent with their behavior, which results in an uncomfortable, disharmonious feeling. The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance in Psychology Cognitive dissonance refers to any incompatibility that an individual might perceive between two or more of his attitudes or between his behaviour and attitudes. Because cognitive dissonance is a relatively new theory, there are some that are skeptical of the idea. Theoretical Assumptions. Mass Communication Talk > Theories ... s Congruity & Cognitive Dissonance Theories . Dissonance is also reduced by justifying, blaming, and denying. dissonance (name)'s balance theory explains attitude change when 2 people have attitudes toward the same object/activity. It is important to take notice of theories, such as the balance theory, the congruency theory and the cognitive dissonance theory so that one's self-persuasion occurs knowingly. Opposite to Cognitive Balance, Cognitive Dissonance Theory (CDT), together with Balance Theory and Congruity Theory … Cognitive dissonance is defined as a state of mind where our belief does not match with our behaviour. The theory of cognitive dissonance proposes that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance. In A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, Festinger offers an example of how an individual might deal with dissonance related to a health behavior by discussing individuals who continue to smoke, even though they know it is bad for their health. Dissonance Theory declares that dissonance is an unpleasant motivating state (a feeling) that encourages attitude change to achieve or restore consonance. This produces a feeling of mental discomfort leading to an alteration in one of the attitudes, beliefs or behaviors to reduce the discomfort and restore balance. There are three common approaches to reduce the importance of the cognitions. The tendency people have to avoid information that would create cognitive dissonance because it is incompatible with their current beliefs. The consistency motive is the urge to maintain one's values and beliefs over time. Charles G. Lord wrote a paper on whether or not the theory of cognitive dissonance was not tested enough and if it was a mistake to accept it into theory. 4 types of consistency theories include balance theory, symmetry theory, congruity theory and cognitive ... theory (the most popular one). September 17, 2012 1 Comment. Cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling caused by holding conflicting ideas simultaneously. We often do not realize the psychological events that take place in our everyday lives. How to explain thrill seeking behavior. In terms of psychology, it’s a mental discomfort associated with psychological stress experienced by a person, where the person holds on to more than one contradictory ideas, attitudes, or beliefs. They do this by changing their attitudes, beliefs, and actions. Discuss the following theories: Heider’s Balance Theory Newcomb’s Symmetry Theory Osgood’s Congruity Theory Festinger’s Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. * How strongly the dissonant thoughts conflict. The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance in Psychology What are the differences of Cognitive Dissonance Theory CDT to Heider’s balance Theory?. The original formulation of balance theory was designed to describe the pattern of relations between three individuals. Cognitive Dissonance Theory Definition. Heider's principle of structural balance does not involve strong psychological forces of compelling need such as anxiety [in contrast to cognitive dissonance]. Psychologist Leon Festinger first described the theory of cognitive dissonance in 1957. 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 …