Humans are predisposed to respond to different situations, people, or objects by modifying their cognitive and behavioral patterns. Julie's dilemma presents an example of cognitive dissonance. To rid herself of the psychological discomfort, Julie will have to cultivate consistency in her attitudes and behavior. Leon Festinger’s theory of cognitive dissonance best describes Julie’s situation.
Cognitive dissonance describes mental discomfort resulting from a conflict in attitudes, behaviors, or beliefs (Levy, Harmon-Jones, & Harmon-Jones, 2018). The discomfort triggers an alteration in an individual's attitudes, beliefs, or behavior to restore cognitive consistency. Festinger’s theory suggests that individuals have an inner desire to ensure consistency between their attitudes and behavior (McLeod, 2018). The inner drive encourages people to avoid the disharmony between the two elements by changing either or both. People are, therefore, inclined to reach this internal consistency and avoid dissonance.
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Changes in one or more of the conflicting elements help an individual reduce the dissonance. Festinger proposes that when one of these elements is a behavior, an individual is inclined to modify or eradicate the behavior. It may, however, be difficult for an individual to give up a well-learned behavior such as smoking (McLeod, 2018). In such a situation, an individual is likely to result in a reduction of a dissonant cognition.
For instance, Julie’s smoking behavior is a well-learned behavior that conflicts with her desire to keep fit. A possible outcome in Julie’s dilemma is that she may choose to continue smoking as opposed to keeping in shape. This is because she may reduce the importance of the dissonant cognition to quit smoking for health benefits. The sensual pleasure of smoking may be a motivating factor to continue smoking and give up running. Festinger suggested that an individual tries to minimize the potential drawbacks of continued behavior (Cherry, 2019). Julie, for instance, may convince herself that other changes in her body could be causing dizziness and nausea. She may disassociate smoking and the feeling she had when she started running. Julie is, therefore, more likely to change her attitude and not her smoking behavior.
References
Cherry, K. (2019). Cognitive Dissonance and Ways to Resolve It. Retrieved 1 January 2020, from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-cognitive-dissonance-2795012
Levy, N., Harmon-Jones, C., & Harmon-Jones, E. (2018). Dissonance and discomfort: Does a simple cognitive inconsistency evoke a negative affective state?. Motivation Science, 4(2), 95.
McLeod, S. A. (2018). Cognitive dissonance. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-dissonance.html
