#festinger

Chapter II Cognitive dissonance Cognitive dissonance is an internal conflict. It may happen when an existing belief is confronted with a conflicting information. You believe Earth is flat, you are presented with sound, sustained, scientific information that proves Earth is a sphere. Will you keep believing Earth is flat? Most likely. Or will you switch gear and admit it is not flat? Probably…

Las personas se evalúan constantemente a sí mismas y a los demás, en respecto a su atractivo, riqueza, inteligencia o éxito. ¿Por qué nos comparamos continuamente?

De acuerdo con algunos estudios, hasta el 20 por ciento de nuestros pensamientos involucran comparaciones de algún tipo. Las personas se evalúan constantemente a sí mismas y a los demás, en respecto a su atractivo, riqueza, inteligencia o éxito.   La teoría de la comparación social es la idea de que los individuos determinan su propio valor social y personal con base en la manera en que se…

Shakespeare might have been a genius at similes and metaphors, but it turns out that we might actually be the best at the comparing game. Ever found yourself looking around the table when trying to decide what to eat? Ever found yourself asking your friends what they're going to wear to the local gay club? No... Oh well, do you ever find yourself asking others what they are going to wear to the cat lovers meeting? If so, then you are exhibiting the...

Social Comparison Theory

What do you think is more important: Having a positive understanding of yourself or having an accurate understanding of yourself? When it comes to the latter, in hopes to achieve the best understanding of ourselves, we compare ourselves to those around us who reflect us best (Festinger, 1954). It might seem like we are the ones who know ourselves the best, but in actuality that isn't always the case. The Social Comparison Theory shows that we cannot get an accurate representation of ourselves without comparing ourselves to other people (Festinger, 1954). Why do we want an accurate representation of ourselves versus a positive representation? Well, 1) we have a need to know where we stand in comparison to others, and 2) In the absence of an objective standard, we innately compare ourselves with others. By doing this, we can assume things about ourselves in a fast and efficient way. We figure that if someone similar to us is ordering a chicken burrito, then that might be the best decision for us as well. If everyone at the cat lovers club is drinking water but you want a coke, then you'll probably determine that water might be best for the occasion or for yourself. Overall, we want to know who we really are, whether that ends up being positive or negative.

For example, my friend martin and I are more similar than what meets the eye. We decided we were going to have a get together with some friends on Friday in hopes to rekindle what was "lost" during the break. The problem was that I would be coming from practice with not much time to get ready unlike most of our friends who would have ample time to get dressed. I automatically sent a text to the squad asking "Y'all gonna look cute or nah?". Now in all actuality, what did it matter what they were wearing? But without an "objective standard" I didn't really know what to wear without knowing what my friends were going to wear. How well do you really know yourself?

One of the things we know through Psychology is that, subconsciously, we inherently know when we're being hypocritical. Cognitive Dissonance Theory revolves entirely around the subconscious justification of our actions to fit with our beliefs.

This may help explain why some people have a problem with others intervening in yet other people's lives. For example: trying to stop others from committing suicide.

"They should be allowed the freedom to choose!" People will say.

Why? Perhaps because they want their own absolute freedom to make their own decisions, and they inherently know it would then be hypocritical to disallow others that same freedom, even if it results in death. Or worse.

In other words: > The desire to be absolute ruler of our own life is bought with the deaths of others.

I'm not okay with that.

Festinger and several of his colleagues had infiltrated the Seekers, a small Chicago-area cult whose members thought they were communicating with aliens–including one, "Sananda," who they believed was the astral incarnation of Jesus Christ. The group was led...