In education, cognitive dissonance is used to reorient students' consciousness and their ability to defend their beliefs and values. Simply put, cognitive dissonance is when you feel that something is out of harmony or out of sync with what you believe or experienced. Cognitive dissonance causes people to feel physical discomfort even though they are faced with a psychological problem. Cognitive dissonance may be due to feeling compelled to do something, when learning new information, or when faced with a decision between two similar options.
Cognitive dissonance is defined as the mental discomfort experienced by a person who simultaneously holds two or more conflicting beliefs, ideals, or values. Cognitive dissonance can interfere with their perceptions of themselves and their abilities, which is why it can often be so uncomfortable and unpleasant. The inner discomfort and tension of cognitive dissonance could contribute to stress or unhappiness. Some of the ways in which people reduce the discomfort caused by cognitive dissonance include seeking information that aligns with and supports current beliefs, reducing the importance of conflicting beliefs, and changing beliefs to reduce feelings of conflict.
Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person has two related but contradictory cognitions or thoughts. Alternatively, they can reduce cognitive dissonance by being aware of their values and seeking opportunities to live those values. But at the same time, this cognitive dissonance can be one of the best resources for you and your school to achieve real change for all students. Changing conflicting cognition is one of the most effective ways to address dissonance, but it is also one of the most difficult, especially in the case of deeply held values and beliefs, such as religious or political inclinations.
In his book Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, Festinger proposed that two ideas can be consonant or dissonant. A person who experiences internal inconsistency tends to feel psychologically uncomfortable and is motivated to reduce cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance can even influence how people feel and see themselves, leading to negative feelings of self-esteem and self-esteem. As such, there is no set of external signs that can reliably indicate that a person is experiencing cognitive dissonance.
However, Festinger believed that all people are motivated to avoid or resolve cognitive dissonance because of the discomfort it causes.
