2.2 Foundations of Dissonance Theory
The theory of cognitive dissonance is elegantly simple: it states that inconsistency
between two cognitions creates an aversive state akin to hunger or thirst that gives rise
to a motivation to reduce the inconsistency. According to Leon Festinger ( 1957),
cognitions are elements of knowledge that people have about their behavior, their
attitudes, and their environment. As such, a set of cognitions can be unrelated,
consonant, or dissonant with each other. Two cognitions are said to be dissonant when
one follows from the obverse of the other. The resultant motivation to reduce
dissonance is directly proportional to the magnitude and importance of the discrepant
cognitions, and inversely proportional to the magnitude and importance of the
consistent cognitions. This tension is typically reduced by changing one of the
cognitions, or adding new cognitions until mental `consonance' is achieved. Festinger's
original formulation proved to be one of the most robust, influential, and controversial
theories in the history of social psychology. Although a number of challenges and
revisions have been suggested, the basic behavioral observation remains uncontested
and continues to stimulate fresh research