People experience cognitive dissonance on a daily basis with varying intensities. Think about the number of times you have felt conflicted about a choice or situation in your life. Some choices or events weigh heavily on our consciousness due to the importance of the decision that must be made, while others may be less significant. Think about an addiction you may have, such as smoking or chocolates. I love chocolate candy, but I face cognitive dissonance when I am faced with the choice of eating chocolate and experiencing the delicious taste for five seconds, but also the fact that I will gain weight because chocolate is very unhealthy for me. Likewise, I may be addicted to smoking and face cognitive dissonance when faced with the choice of smoking a cigarette and momentarily satisfying that craving, but also the fact that it is extremely dangerous to my health and the health of those with whom I smoke. Eating a piece of chocolate is not as harmful as smoking a cigarette, and it is clear that the meaning of the dissonance varies from one decision to another. Regardless of the level of significance, we see that cognitive dissonance is a common characteristic that every person deals with quite frequently. It is Leon Festinger's Cognitive Dissonance Theory that explains why and how you can reduce cognitive dissonance in all aspects of your life, in association with different levels and numbers of dissonant cognitions. Description of the theory Leon Festinger's Cognitive Dissonance Theory is perhaps one of the most famous theories in the social sciences. According to Festinger, “dissonance occurs when one cognitive element is inconsistent with another cognitive element” (Sereno, 2014, chapter 7, … half of the article … nitive dissonance theory sheds light on an experience that individuals find themselves to address so commonly. Festinger uses his research to evaluate why cognitive dissonance exists and how we can reduce it. The theory has real-world applicability, which is crucial to its success. We experience cognitive dissonance every day, sometimes without Even As we saw, Nancy's scenario showed that cognitive dissonance can occur in a much more significant way than the mundane decisions we make on a daily basis. She is the epitome of someone who copes cognitive dissonance in the workplace, like many other Festinger's theory offers readers ways to reduce such dissonance, while at the same time offering an explanation as to why and how it occurs. Therefore, to a greater extent, this theory has proven to be extremely valuable for people who experience cognitive dissonance on a daily basis.
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