cognitive dissonance

cognitive dissonance

noun

Definition of COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

:  psychological conflict resulting from incongruous beliefs and attitudes held simultaneously

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First Known Use of COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

1957

cognitive dissonance

noun    (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

: psychological conflict resulting from simultaneously held incongruous beliefs and attitudes (as a fondness for smoking and a belief that it is harmful)

cognitive dissonance

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Mental conflict that occurs when beliefs or assumptions are contradicted by new information. The concept was introduced by the psychologist Leon Festinger (1919–89) in the late 1950s. He and later researchers showed that, when confronted with challenging new information, most people seek to preserve their current understanding of the world by rejecting, explaining away, or avoiding the new information or by convincing themselves that no conflict really exists. Cognitive dissonance is nonetheless considered an explanation for attitude change.