Overcoming the Instinct of Thinking: Cognitive Dissonance

Have you ever experienced this state? When two cognitions are inconsistent in our minds, we feel a state of tension. In order to reduce this unpleasant tension, we will spontaneously adjust our thoughts. This is cognitive dissonance. This article explains cognitive dissonance in detail and gives suggestions on how to deal with cognitive dissonance. Let's take a look!

Today, let’s continue to talk about the thinking instincts that plague data analysts. Today, let’s talk about the third thinking instinct, cognitive dissonance.

1. Case

Let’s look at a story first:

There were many naughty children who often ran into an old man's garden to play and made a mess of it. After a few days of headaches, the old man came up with a solution.

The next day, when the children finished playing, he gave each of them 5 yuan and said, "I'm old, and it's fun to see you playing here. Thank you. You can buy some snacks with this money. You are welcome to come and play again."

The children had a great time and got some pocket money, so they all left happily.

The next day, he gave each of the children 3 yuan and said, "I'm sorry, this is all I can give you today." The children thought that 3 yuan was not a small amount, so they skipped away again.

On the third day, he only gave each person 1 yuan . Some children became unhappy and said, "This is just this much. I won't come to play tomorrow."

On the fourth day, some children did not come. He still gave 50 cents to each of the children who came, which made the children completely disappointed.

It was 5 yuan at the beginning, but now it’s only 50 cents. I will never come again.

On the fifth day, the children complained that the money was too little and so they all stopped coming.

Why were everyone willing to come when they didn't have to pay at the beginning, but became unwilling to come when they were given 50 cents at the end?

2. Concept

Social psychologist Festinger proposed the theory of cognitive dissonance.

The theory of cognitive dissonance, as the name suggests, says that when two cognitions (ideas or beliefs) are inconsistent in our minds, we will feel a state of tension (dissonance). In order to reduce this unpleasant tension, we will spontaneously adjust our thoughts.

Festinger conducted a classic experiment:

First, let the volunteers spend an hour doing simple and boring tasks , such as rotating an object 90 degrees at regular intervals, which may be more boring than the work of assembly line workers.

Then let these volunteers who have completed the task introduce how interesting the task is to others (actually the experimenters) to attract others to participate. Some volunteers were rewarded with $1 and others with $20.

Finally, ask the volunteers to comment on this boring task.

When analyzing the volunteers' evaluations, it was found that the volunteers who received only $1 found the task more interesting.

He gets paid so little, but finds this boring task interesting. He is simply a complete sucker.

Why?

Because if you think the task is boring but want to introduce it to others, there will be a dissonance between your cognition (the task is boring) and your behavior (introducing the task is fun).

So the brain starts to adjust itself:

Volunteers who received $20 no longer experienced cognitive dissonance because the pay was good: they still thought the task was boring, but the money rationalized their behavior, “I did this for the money.”

As for the volunteers who only received $1, the reward was too low to justify their behavior: they thought, how could I sell my conscience for $1? So they adjusted again, they spontaneously changed their attitude, thought that this task was really interesting, and therefore had a higher evaluation of the task.

Cognitive dissonance is the brain's attempt to find an appropriate motivation for its behavior.

Let’s go back to the initial case of the naughty kid.

At first, the naughty child just thought it was fun to play in the garden, and his behavior was motivated by playing.

Later, after the old man gave them money, the children's motivation became monetary incentives . When the monetary incentives were reduced from 5 yuan to 50 cents, the motivation of monetary incentives was not enough to support the action.

There will be inconsistency between their behavior and goals, and they will eventually give up the behavior.

There are many such examples in life:

For a person who has reached the top of the stock market and is seriously stuck with the stock, there must be a chance to make a profit from the stock he holds, and the longer he is stuck with the stock, the stronger this mentality becomes.

For a couple, there is a Romeo and Juliet effect: the greater the interference from the outside world, the stronger the relationship between the two parties will be. Because cognition will tell you that overcoming so many difficulties is proof of how much you love each other, right?

For a person who loves drinking, you tell him that drinking is harmful to the body, and there is a disharmony between wanting to drink and harming the body, so the brain will make up some reasons, such as a small drink can soothe the mood, good wine is not harmful to the body, etc.

3. How to deal with it

1. Empty Cup Mentality

An empty cup mentality can help us avoid cognitive dissonance.

The empty cup mentality means that when we accept new things, our mentality should be like an empty cup, without any preset ideas or prejudices, so as to better accept new information and understanding.

If we have fixed beliefs and prejudices, we will automatically filter out some information that we think does not conform to our beliefs when we receive new information. In this case, we will ignore some valuable information, which is a manifestation of cognitive dissonance.

If we can maintain an empty cup mentality, we will be more open and inclusive, able to accept more information and thus understand things better.

I recommend a book called "Flow" , which introduces a state of "flow" that humans experience when they are fully engaged in an activity. This state requires an empty cup mentality to achieve.

2. Critical thinking

Critical thinking can also help avoid cognitive dissonance.

The empty cup mentality is about acceptance, allowing information that is easy to ignore to enter our brain. Critical thinking is about questioning, allowing the information that has already entered the brain to be verified.

Critical thinking can help us examine and evaluate our beliefs and opinions. Sometimes, our beliefs may be based on bias or misunderstanding, which may lead to cognitive dissonance. Therefore, we need to examine our beliefs and opinions through critical thinking to identify and correct the errors and biases in them. In this way, we can understand ourselves and the world more objectively and accurately.

I recommend a book on critical thinking , "Thinking and Standpoint" , which mentions many methods of critical thinking.

3. Fighting poison with poison

Cognitive dissonance is a brain instinct that everyone has, whether it is good or bad.

Since it is difficult to change, it is better to think about how to make use of it.

It is painful to get up early every day to study, because although I know that learning is a good thing, getting up early is also painful. In most cases, the cognition of pain overcomes the cognition of learning. So I procrastinate and don't take action.

But if you can post a circle of friends to check in on your reading, then the motivation changes from studying to showing off your presence . So the next morning, you will be worried that if you don’t get up early today, won’t it seem that you have no perseverance and are a boaster?

So the brain tells itself that it must get up early for the sake of face.

Therefore, cognitive dissonance becomes the nemesis of laziness and a boost to our learning.

After a while, when I have checked in for more than ten consecutive days, it will be easier to keep going. Because I have checked in for more than ten consecutive days, and it will be a full month in a few days, it would be a pity to give up now.

So this compulsion drives you to continue to complete your study plan.

Author: Jason

Source: WeChat public account "Sanyuan Variance" (ID: sanyuanfangcha)