Full Answer Section

Three ways to reduce cognitive dissonance

There are three main ways to reduce cognitive dissonance:

1. Change your behavior: The most effective way to reduce cognitive dissonance is to change the behavior that is causing the dissonance. For example, if a person believes that smoking is bad for their health and wants to reduce their dissonance, they can quit smoking.
2. Change your beliefs: Another way to reduce cognitive dissonance is to change the beliefs that are causing the dissonance. For example, if a person believes that smoking is bad for their health but wants to continue smoking, they can try to change their belief about the health risks of smoking.
3. Add new cognitions: It is also possible to reduce cognitive dissonance by adding new cognitions that make the existing cognitions more consistent. For example, if a person believes that smoking is bad for their health but wants to continue smoking, they can add a new cognition that justifies their behavior, such as “I’m stressed and smoking helps me to relax.”

It is important to note that reducing cognitive dissonance is not always possible or desirable. For example, if a person is experiencing cognitive dissonance because they have committed a crime, they should not try to reduce their dissonance by changing their beliefs about the crime or by adding new cognitions that justify their behavior.

Conclusion

Cognitive dissonance is a normal human experience. It is important to be aware of the cognitive dissonance that we experience and to understand the different ways that we can reduce it. However, it is also important to remember that reducing cognitive dissonance is not always possible or desirable.