Cognitive Dissonance and the pandemic
Have you been wondering lately whether or not to wear a mask in public? Or whether or not to go out for dinner at a favorite restaurant or bar? Have you wondered why it seems so hard for ‘other’ people to wear a mask in response to public health warnings and advice regarding the Covid19 pandemic? But not me, of course.
Cognitive dissonance describes the discomfort felt when two ‘cognitions’ or ideas contradict each other, or when a ‘cognition’ and an ‘action’ contradict each other; e.g., I want to be with my friends; being with my friends might make me sick. According to cognitive dissonance theory, whatever you decide, you may end up finding it harder and harder to change your mind, especially if you feel you’ve made the wrong decision. I want to change my mind or my behavior, but I can’t or I’ll appear stupid or weak.
Why is this? Pride and ego are often involved.
The online Atlantic magazine has a good article this week (see reference below) on cognitive dissonance and the pandemic. “How to resolve this dissonance?” the writers ask. For example, they suggest that for some people “to preserve their belief that they are smart and competent and would never do anything foolish to risk their lives, they will need some self-justification.” That is, they need a ‘good’ reason for such ‘risky’ behavior. Yet, their actions are discordant or dissonant from their cognition or reason. Hence, cognitive dissonance.
The article goes on to state that “although it’s difficult, changing our minds is not impossible”. Some “self-reflection” is involved. The article ends with some suggestions for resolving such cognitive dissonance both at the personal and the political levels.
-o-
The word cognitive has its origins in the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root gno (to know) and in Latin gnoscere (to know). Cognitive, from Latin cognoscere, is the combination of Latin com, co- (together) + gnoscere. The word cognitive came to English in the 1580s meaning ‘pertaining to cognition’ and was adopted by social scientists around 1940.
The word dissonance has its origins in the PIE root swene, swen (to sound) and Latin sonare (to sound, to make a noise). Latin dis- (apart) combined with sonare creates dissonare and dissonantem (to differ in sound). The word dissonaunce (dissonance) came to English in the early 15th century meaning disagreement, discrepancy, incongruity, inconsistency between things. The use of dissonance to mean the inharmonious mixture or combination of sounds is from the 1590s.
The term ‘cognitive dissonance’ meaning ‘psychological distress caused by holding contradictory beliefs or values’ was coined by the psychologist Leon Festinger in 1957.
The role of cognitive dissonance in the pandemic
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/07/role-cognitive-dissonance-pandemic/614074/
Cognitive dissonance describes the discomfort felt when two ‘cognitions’ or ideas contradict each other, or when a ‘cognition’ and an ‘action’ contradict each other; e.g., I want to be with my friends; being with my friends might make me sick. According to cognitive dissonance theory, whatever you decide, you may end up finding it harder and harder to change your mind, especially if you feel you’ve made the wrong decision. I want to change my mind or my behavior, but I can’t or I’ll appear stupid or weak.
Why is this? Pride and ego are often involved.
The online Atlantic magazine has a good article this week (see reference below) on cognitive dissonance and the pandemic. “How to resolve this dissonance?” the writers ask. For example, they suggest that for some people “to preserve their belief that they are smart and competent and would never do anything foolish to risk their lives, they will need some self-justification.” That is, they need a ‘good’ reason for such ‘risky’ behavior. Yet, their actions are discordant or dissonant from their cognition or reason. Hence, cognitive dissonance.
The article goes on to state that “although it’s difficult, changing our minds is not impossible”. Some “self-reflection” is involved. The article ends with some suggestions for resolving such cognitive dissonance both at the personal and the political levels.
-o-
The word cognitive has its origins in the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root gno (to know) and in Latin gnoscere (to know). Cognitive, from Latin cognoscere, is the combination of Latin com, co- (together) + gnoscere. The word cognitive came to English in the 1580s meaning ‘pertaining to cognition’ and was adopted by social scientists around 1940.
The word dissonance has its origins in the PIE root swene, swen (to sound) and Latin sonare (to sound, to make a noise). Latin dis- (apart) combined with sonare creates dissonare and dissonantem (to differ in sound). The word dissonaunce (dissonance) came to English in the early 15th century meaning disagreement, discrepancy, incongruity, inconsistency between things. The use of dissonance to mean the inharmonious mixture or combination of sounds is from the 1590s.
The term ‘cognitive dissonance’ meaning ‘psychological distress caused by holding contradictory beliefs or values’ was coined by the psychologist Leon Festinger in 1957.
The role of cognitive dissonance in the pandemic
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/07/role-cognitive-dissonance-pandemic/614074/
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