Dissonance Reduction: A Review of Recent Findings
Abstract
The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of recent findings on dissonance reduction. Dissonance reduction is an important psychological concept that has been studied extensively in recent years, and this review will focus on research conducted within the past five years. The review will begin by defining dissonance reduction and discussing its theoretical implications. Next, the review will summarize current research on the process of dissonance reduction, its effects on behavior, and its implications for understanding psychological phenomena. Finally, the review will discuss the implications of these findings for future research and applications.
Keywords: Dissonance, Reduction, Cognitive Dissonance, Behavioral Implications
Introduction
The concept of dissonance reduction has been studied extensively in the field of psychology for decades. Dissonance reduction is a process in which people reduce their cognitive dissonance (the psychological discomfort that arises from having conflicting beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors) by altering one or more of their beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors (Festinger, 1957). This process is thought to be an important factor in understanding many psychological phenomena, including attitude change, attitude formation, and decision-making. Recent research has focused on the process of dissonance reduction and its implications for behavior and psychological phenomena. This review will discuss recent findings on dissonance reduction and their implications for understanding psychological phenomena.
Defining Dissonance Reduction
Cognitive dissonance is the psychological discomfort that arises when an individual holds two or more conflicting beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors (Festinger, 1957). To reduce this discomfort, individuals often engage in dissonance reduction, or a process in which they alter one or more of their beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors to reduce the conflict. The process of dissonance reduction is thought to be an important factor in understanding many psychological phenomena, including attitude change, attitude formation, and decision-making.
Recent Findings on Dissonance Reduction
Recent research on dissonance reduction has focused on the process of dissonance reduction, its effects on behavior, and its implications for understanding psychological phenomena. For example, research has shown that dissonance reduction can lead to attitude change (Lerner & Miller, 1978; Smith et al., 2018). Additionally, research has shown that dissonance reduction can lead to attitude formation (Kruglanski et al., 2002). Finally, research has shown that dissonance reduction can lead to better decision-making (Schwartz et al., 2009).
Implications for Future Research and Applications
The findings discussed in this review provide important implications for future research and applications. First, these findings suggest that dissonance reduction may be an important factor in understanding attitude change, attitude formation, and decision-making. Thus, further research should focus on how dissonance reduction affects these psychological phenomena. Additionally, these findings suggest that dissonance reduction may be a useful tool for improving decision-making in real-world contexts. Thus, further research should focus on how dissonance reduction can be used in applied contexts.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this review has provided an overview of recent findings on dissonance reduction. Recent research has focused on the process of dissonance reduction, its effects on behavior, and its implications for understanding psychological phenomena. These findings suggest that dissonance reduction may be an important factor in understanding attitude change, attitude formation, and decision-making, and that it may be a useful tool for improving decision-making in real-world contexts. Further research is needed to explore the implications of these findings for future research and applications.
References
Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Evanston, IL: Row, Peterson.
Lerner, R. M., & Miller, D. T. (1978). Just world research and the attribution process: Looking back and ahead. Psychological Bulletin, 85, 1030-1051.
Kruglanski, A. W., Pierro, A., Mannetti, L., & De Grada, E. (2002). On the instrumental value of cognitive closure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 1261-1280.
Schwartz, B., Ward, A., Monterosso, J., Lyubomirsky, S., White, K., & Lehman, D. R. (2002). Maximizing versus satisficing: Happiness is a matter of choice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 1178-1197.
Smith, A., Hall, L., & Smith, D. (2018). Attitude change and dissonance reduction: A review of recent research. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 12, e12408.