Cognitive Dissonance in AP Psychology when beliefs and actions clash.
Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort you feel when your actions and beliefs do not line up, and the drive to relieve it. This cognitive dissonance AP Psychology definition guide explains the theory, the classic study, and how the exam tests it.
What is cognitive dissonance?
Cognitive dissonance is the mental tension that arises when a person holds two conflicting beliefs, or when behavior contradicts a belief. Leon Festinger proposed the theory in 1957. Because the tension is uncomfortable, people are motivated to reduce it, which often means changing an attitude rather than the behavior.
Three ways to reduce dissonance
The classic experiment
Festinger and Carlsmith ran the best known study in 1959. Participants did a dull task, then were paid either one dollar or twenty dollars to tell the next person it was fun. The group paid only one dollar later rated the task as more enjoyable. With little outside reason to lie, they reduced the dissonance by changing their own attitude. This insufficient-justification result is a favorite AP example.
How AP Psych tests cognitive dissonance
Multiple-choice vignettes describe someone whose attitude shifts to match a behavior they cannot undo, and the answer is cognitive dissonance. Watch for the small-reward pattern from the 1959 study. Do not confuse dissonance with conformity, which is changing behavior to match a group, or with the foot-in-the-door technique.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers — written by humans, not a chatbot.
Who developed cognitive dissonance theory?
Leon Festinger introduced the theory in 1957, and the 1959 study with James Carlsmith provided the classic evidence. The AP exam often points to the one dollar versus twenty dollar experiment.
Why did the group paid less change their attitude more?
With only one dollar, they had no strong outside reason for lying, so the dissonance was larger. To reduce it, they decided the task really was enjoyable. A larger payment gave a ready excuse, so less attitude change was needed.
How is cognitive dissonance different from conformity?
Conformity is changing behavior to match a group. Cognitive dissonance is an internal tension between your own beliefs and actions that pushes you to change one of them, with or without a group present.