cognitive dissonance

an unpleasant psychological state resulting from inconsistency between two or more elements in a cognitive system. It is presumed to involve a state of heightened arousal and to have characteristics similar to physiological drives (e.g., hunger). Thus, cognitive dissonance creates a motivational drive in an individual to reduce the dissonance (see dissonance reduction). See also cognitive consonance. [first described by Leon Festinger]

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Psychology term of the day

April 29th 2024

clinical diagnosis

the process of identifying and determining the nature of a disorder through the study of the symptom pattern, review of medical and other records, investigation of background factors, and, where indicated, administration of psychological tests.