Do you ever feel a nagging sense of discomfort when your actions don't match your beliefs? For example, you might tell a small white lie even though you value honesty. That uneasy feeling is known as ...

Cognitive dissonance is everywhere — but it’s not well understood. When we’re aware of it, it can be a powerful motivator for behavioral change and enhance insight. When we're not, it can cause us to ...

Key Points: Evidence for the power of cognitive dissonance comes from studies using the "free choice paradigm"—in which individuals tend to show clearer preferences for an option after they have ...

The holidays can be joyful, but social pressures, clashing cultural and family traditions, overeating and overspending invariably also leave many of us with a “cognitive dissonance hangover” once all ...

Cognitive dissonance refers to the psychological discomfort that arises when an individual holds two or more conflicting cognitions—attitudes, beliefs or behaviours—simultaneously. This tension drives ...

Cognitive dissonance in human–animal relations arises when individuals experience psychological tension between their moral concern for animals and their everyday actions, such as consuming meat or ...