This inconsistency can be resolved by either altering beliefs or by rationalizing the contradiction in some way. One common example of this dissonance occurs when an individual is confronted with a family member’s crime. This sharp conflict between their belief in the relative’s innocence and details of the crime may cause them to dismiss the evidence as fabricated or biased, or rationalize the behavior away by blaming external factors like suggesting the relative was coerced. This allows them to preserve their belief in the family member’s character and avoid the painful emotional conflict that would come with accepting the reality of their actions.
Cognitive dissonance works because humans are deeply invested in maintaining a coherent sense of self and identity. When contradictions between beliefs and evidence threaten this coherence, it creates psychological discomfort that individuals strive to resolve. Changing core beliefs or values can be emotionally and cognitively jarring, so it is often easier to reinterpret or dismiss conflicting information. This mechanism reinforces preexisting worldviews, as individuals gravitate toward information that aligns with their beliefs while rejecting or rationalizing evidence to the contrary.
Cognitive dissonance is often a barrier to action, as it encourages individuals to reject any evidence that challenges their worldview. For example, in the context of climate change, people who deny its existence may dismiss scientific reports as alarmist, focusing instead on outlier data. In politics, individuals aligned with a particular political party might discount credible criticisms of their party’s candidate by attributing them to partisan bias, preserving their belief in the candidate’s integrity and reinforcing their sense of belonging and identity within the party.
This mechanism also plays a role in reinforcing propaganda or misinformation. By creating an environment where evidence-based information conflicts with an audience’s values or identity, propagandists exploit cognitive dissonance to keep individuals aligned with the intended narrative, regardless of what the facts may be.
