Social Psychology Assignment

Cognitive dissonance is a theory of social psychology, which is used to describe the feeling of discomfort that results when a person's beliefs counter to his or her behaviors (Grison & Gazzaniga, 2019). It can occur in many aspects of life, but it is most evident in situations where a person’s behavior contradicts the beliefs that are important to the person’s identity. Reducing cognitive dissonance is motivational because, it helps a person to parse out and better understand one's values and what he or she stands for. It also motivates people to change and grow in positive ways. Changing behaviors is essential in relieving cognitive dissonance as it brings an individual's action into harmony with what the person knows to be true. The second way is the change of beliefs, an individual can adjust the norms and values in order to relieve dissonance. (151 words) 

Personal Example of Cognitive Dissonance . 

I am a person who loves to live healthily. Previously, I rarely made time for physical exercises. I was also having a high intake of junk food, and this made me experience cognitive dissonance. This was because, my beliefs were clashing with my behavior. I believe that humans need to do healthy dieting as well as make time for physical activity in order to stay healthy. This, therefore, created an internal conflict that prompts me to feel guilty. 

How I Reduced My Cognitive Dissonance . 

I considered reducing my cognitive dissonance by reducing the intake of junk food and increasing the amount of exercise each week. In this case, altering my behavior to increase consistency with my beliefs played a positive role in my life and health. My effort is still working because I got an inner satisfaction. Post-decisional help reduces cognitive dissonance for a long time because, it helped me to rate living healthy as more desirable thereby leading to the elimination of junk foods from my diet. 

Reference  

Grison, S., & Gazzaniga, M. (2019). Psychology in Your Life, 3rd Edition .