Theories in Social Psychology, 2nd Edition

3 Inconsistency in Cognition: Cognitive Dissonance

Cindy Harmon-Jones, Paul R. Nail, and Kurt A. Boniecki

Festinger’s (1957) theory of cognitive dissonance is arguably one of the most well-known, studied, powerful, applicable, debated, controversial, and resilient theories in the field of social psychology, if not psychology as a whole. Unlike more modern theories that are not yet time-tested, or older theories that have faded into obscurity, cognitive dissonance theory has a long, colorful, and still unfolding history (see Aronson, 2007; Cooper, 2007; Harmon-Jones et al., 2017; Harmon-Jones et al., 2015; Nail & MacDonald, 2007; Tavris & Aronson, 2007). Its influence on basic and applied psychology as well as popular culture has been almost unprecedented. In the first 15 years after its publication, the theory helped to inspire over 1,000 experiments (Thibodeau & Aronson, 1992), most of which supported the theory. According to Google Scholar, April 25, 2018, Festinger’s (1957) book, A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, had been cited over 38,500 times.

From the outset, one of the most appealing aspects of the theory has been its ability to make correct, often counterintuitive predictions. In so doing, it frequently explains, integrates, and offers compelling insights into otherwise mystifying observations of human behavior, for example: (a) why people report liking a boring task more if they are paid less for doing it (Festinger & Carlsmith, 1959); (b) why members of various groups ...