Think Better · 45 sec
Cognitive dissonance
A compact thinking tool for spotting patterns and avoiding mistakes.
The useful idea
- The useful idea
In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is described as a mental phenomenon in which people unknowingly or subconsciously hold fundamentally conflicting cognitions.
- How it works
Being confronted by situations that create this dissonance or highlight these inconsistencies motivates change in their cognitions or actions to reduce this dissonance, maybe by changing a belief, by
- Why it matters
explaining something away, or by taking actions that reduce perceived inconsistency.
Why this matters
Use Cognitive dissonance as a quick check before trusting your first conclusion.
Try this
Use Cognitive dissonance as a quick check before trusting your first conclusion.
Test your recall
Which idea belongs to the explanation of Cognitive dissonance?
- How it works
- The useful idea — correct
- Why it matters
In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is described as a mental phenomenon in which people unknowingly or subconsciously hold fundamentally conflicting cognitions.