cognitive dissonance

3 synonyms and 2 antonyms for cognitive dissonance, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — The uncomfortable mental tension a person feels when holding two beliefs that contradict each other, or when acting in a way that conflicts with what they believe.

Synonyms

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

mental conflict inner conflict psychological tension

Antonyms

consistency cognitive consonance

How to use cognitive dissonance

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

experience cognitive dissonance resolve cognitive dissonance a state of cognitive dissonance the cognitive dissonance of reduce cognitive dissonance

Originally a technical term in psychology, now widely used in journalism and everyday argument; treat it as an uncountable noun.

Etymology

A term from psychology, from cognitive relating to thinking and dissonance meaning a clash or lack of harmony; it was introduced by the psychologist Leon Festinger in the 1950s.

Full origin of cognitive dissonance →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between cognitive dissonance and hypocrisy?

Hypocrisy is a judgement about someone's conduct, that they preach one thing and do another. Cognitive dissonance is a description of the internal discomfort that mismatch produces. A hypocrite who feels nothing is not experiencing cognitive dissonance.

How do people usually resolve cognitive dissonance?

Rather than change the behaviour, people commonly adjust the belief: they downplay the evidence, add a justification, or reduce how much the issue matters to them. That is why the theory is often used to explain motivated reasoning.

Is cognitive dissonance a mental illness?

No. It is an ordinary psychological experience that almost everyone has, and it is not a diagnosis. It becomes noteworthy only in what people do to escape the discomfort.

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