COGNITIVE DISSONANCE: AN ANALYTICAL REVIEW OF ITS CONCEPT, CAUSES AND EFFECTS

Abstract

Cognitive dissonance is one of the most influential concepts in social psychology. It refers to a psychological discomfort when individuals encounter inconsistency among their beliefs, attitudes and behaviours. The theory of cognitive dissonance was introduced by Leon Festinger in 1957. It proposes that people are motivated to reduce psychological discomfort arising from conflicting cognitions and restore a sense of internal consistency. Over the years, this concept has been studied across diverse areas and disciplines including decision-making, consumer behaviour, health psychology, education and interpersonal relationships. The present paper aims to provide an analytical review of cognitive dissonance by examining its conceptual foundations, theoretical assumptions, causes and psychological and behavioural effects. The paper also shows how cognitive inconsistency appears and how people use different strategies to reduce dissonance. These strategies include changing attitudes, modifying behaviours and restructuring thoughts. This review paper contributes to a deeper understanding of how individuals manage psychological inconsistency and maintain cognitive balance in a complicated social environment.