6B - Cognitive Dissonance and Cognitive Bias Flashcards
What is cognitive dissonance?
The psychological tension that occurs when our thoughts, feelings, and/or behaviours do not align.
Example of cognitive dissonance
A person who knows smoking cigarettes is bad for them (thought) might still smoke at a party (behaviour). Smoking at the party might lead to feelings of psychological tension (cognitive dissonance), as when they consciously think about their behaviour, they are aware that it does not align with their thoughts and what they know about smoking.
List two circumstances where cognitive dissonance is produced
- If you were aware of the potential consequences and the inconsistency of your behaviour when you decided to undertake the behaviour.
- If you cannot sufficiently justify why you performed the behaviour
Example of inconsistencies in certain circumstances
Maybe you were saving up for a car but decided to buy a new, expensive jacket instead.
If you bought the jacket because it was your birthday, then you may not feel cognitive dissonance as you can adequately justify your behaviour.
However, if you bought the new jacket for no adequate reason and you were aware of the potential financial consequences of buying the jacket, then you are more likely to experience cognitive dissonance.
List two ways cognitive dissonance can be reduced
- changing your thoughts to align with your behaviour.
- changing your behaviour to align with your thoughts.
What is cognitive bias?
Conscious, systematic tendencies to interpret information in a way that is neither rational nor based on objective reality.
What are five examples of cognitive biases?
- confirmation bias
- actor - observer bias
- self - serving bias
- false - consensus bias
- halo effect
Confirmation bias definition
The tendency to search for and accept information that supports our prior beliefs or behaviours, and ignores contradictory information.
How does confirmation bias avoid cognitive dissonance?
You tend to display confirmation bias, to avoid cognitive dissonance, when you do additional research until you find something that supports your belief.
Example of confirmation bias
Ida may refuse to receive a vaccine as she holds the belief that they are dangerous to her health. However, if research shows the positive effects of vaccines, then her initial thoughts may be challenged. To avoid cognitive dissonance, she is likely to seek out more information that supports her initial beliefs, such as rare cases of negative vaccine side effects, and ignore information that supports the safety of vaccines. This information may justify her behaviour of not getting vaccinated, which can assist in avoiding cognitive dissonance.
Actor - observer bias definition
The tendency to attribute our own actions to external factors and situational causes while attributing other peoples actions to internal factors.
How does actor - observer bias avoid cognitive dissonance?
You attribute your personal behaviour to external factors. Actor - observer bias may reduce cognitive dissonance as you may feel better about yourself and the contradictory behaviour.
Example of actor - observer bias
You work part time at a cafe. While serving coffee to a customer you drop the coffee mug and spill coffee everywhere. You think to yourself, ‘Gee… that mug was slippery’(external). 30 minutes earlier a co-worker dropped a mug of coffee and spilled coffee everywhere. You assumed they were clumsy and bad at their job (internal).
Self - serving bias definition
The tendency to attribute positive success to our internal character and actions, and attribute our failures to external factors or situational causes.
How does self - serving bias avoid cognitive dissonance?
To reduce the tension, you use self-serving bias. You could attribute your success to your own ability/behaviour, and when unsuccessful you attribute your behaviour to external factors.
Example of self - serving bias
You play soccer and your main position is striker. You score the winning goal, and you believe that your team wouldn’t have won if you didn’t score that goal. The following week a similar scenario plays out, but you miss the winning goal. You blame the weather and say that the ground was slippery.
False - consensus bias definition
The tendency to overestimate the degree to which other people share the same ideas and attitudes as we do.
How does false - consensus bias avoid cognitive dissonance?
While it may not be a true reflection of reality, assuming that all other people care about the same issue as you can reduce cognitive dissonance and discomfort.
Example of false - consensus bias
You are passionate about saving the environment and try to live sustainably. Despite this, you don’t believe your individual actions are enough to make a difference. (where the psychological tension occurs). However, you do believe that all other young people also care about the environment and are working towards the same goal (convince yourself that everybody else feels the same way).
Halo effect definition
The tendency for the impression we form about one quality of a person to influence our overall beliefs about that person in other respects.
How does the halo effect avoid cognitive dissonance?
Basing your general impressions of someone on only one aspect will reduce cognitive dissonance by removing any negative feelings or thoughts.
Example of the halo effect
You meet someone for the first time, and based on their physical appearance you believe they are your ideal partner! On your first date they tell you they have a criminal history for money laundering and you noticed at the end of the date cash was taken from your wallet. You still go on a second date.
