Cognitive Dissonance Experiments

Cognitive dissonance experiments explore how people experience discomfort when they hold conflicting beliefs or behaviors, and how they resolve this discomfort. For example, individuals who justify a costly or unpleasant decision to reduce feelings of regret or inconsistency. Classic studies, like Festinger and Carlsmith’s, showed that people who were paid little to lie about a boring task later convinced themselves they enjoyed it more, to align their beliefs with their actions. These experiments reveal that the mind seeks consistency, altering attitudes or beliefs to reduce psychological tension caused by conflicting thoughts or actions.