Download Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Feb. 2010
Communication Media
Jamael Harrison
Cognitive Dissonance Theory
Cognitive dissonance theory is a theory that people are attributed to when they feel
discomfort as they are entered into a situation where their beliefs and customs are not in
compliance with what they have been previously accustomed to. These beliefs and customs
are “columnized” into stimuli. The previous stimuli are slots in which the current stimuli are
entered in, and if the current ones do not fit into the past slots, then dissonance is present.
People desire consistency in their cognitions and do not enjoy when they are inconsistent.
In the beginning of my college experience I wasn’t used to being in a world full of people
whose beliefs were not the same as my beliefs. The whole college scene started out as parties,
a little homework, and many orientations; but, my whole higher learning experience gave way
to a communication theory by the name of the Cognitive Dissonance theory. It was a Thursday
morning, I already had my breakfast—a granola bar and a bottle of Lipton green tea and I was
leisurely walking to my MA 107 class. I always sat beside a young woman with a smile that
could kill and a smell that was as sweet as a new born baby. We talked every day since the first
day of the course, but we never ushered into the deep conversations such as religion, romance,
family etc. However, this day was different. We were both early for the class so we talked and
somehow “stumbled” on the fact that she was a Buddhist, my body galvanized itself. My
speech was impaired, my heart sped up twice as much, and my eyes watered profusely. This
same girl that sat beside me every day was a Buddhist? I didn’t know then but that day I
experienced cognitive dissonance. The uncomfortable feeling paralyzed me for a whole minute
until the medicine of Understanding was injected into my mind. I sat there and listened to her
side of religion and was inspired eventually by a difference of religion. So dissonance is a theory
Feb. 2010
Communication Media
Jamael Harrison
that is sneaky and can take one by surprise. So every time I see that wonderful girl sits beside
me to this day, a little dissonance is still present: but, the dissonance does not impede my
perception of her being a wonderful person!