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belief
You rewrite your values to justify actions you already took.
Festinger's theory posits that when behavior conflicts with beliefs, individuals are motivated to reduce the resulting dissonance by employing various strategies, which may include changing beliefs, altering behavior, or adding new information.
The claim incorrectly frames belief change as the sole method; the theory provides a repertoire of responses, including changing behavior and rationalization.
You are much more likely to change your mind than you are to admit you were wrong.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Leon Festinger, 1957, A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance
- What the check found
- While changing beliefs is one way to resolve dissonance, Festinger's theory explicitly outlines multiple other strategies to maintain consistency.
- Confidence
- Solid, with limits
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.