Drug Addiction |
This article connects cognitive dissonance to drug addiction and how drug addicts can either fuel or stop their drug addiction by how they deal with their cognitive dissonance and why some drug addicts are willing to even change their beliefs about drugs in order to continue their habit. The article also addresses ways that people can combat cognitive dissonance.
The article says that people with substance abuse experience cognitive dissonance when they hear about the negative effects of their substance abuse and try to get rid of the cognitive dissonance in ways such as “giving up the substance abuse”, “changing their opinion of substance abuse so that the behavior appears less dangerous”, and adapting “a new idea that will help them escape the dissonance”(DARA Thailand). The article says the cognitive dissonance can make recovery from drug addiction more difficult. Examples of this are: when an alcoholic has “dry drunk syndrome”and he or she “has gone off track in their recovery, but they have created justifications for this”, a drug addict ignores the signs of relapse, and when “people with an addictive personality are at risk from going from one type of maladaptive behavior to another” and “they will be able to invent all types of beliefs to justify this new dangerous obsession – just like they did with the old one”(DARA Thailand). The article gives different suggestions on how drug addicts can help get rid of their cognitive dissonance in a healthy way. The suggestions they give all involve being able to not put a large value on their beliefs and being more open-minded to new ideas. I believe that this is a great way to combat cognitive dissonance because people go to greater lengths to protect beliefs and behaviors that they hold tightly to. Read the article here. |
Edward Snowden |
Edward Snowden was a former employee of the federal government who revealed to the public confidential information regarding the government’s use of surveillance. In doing so, Snowden faces consequences such as the possibility of never seeing his girlfriend again and he is regarded as “the most wanted man in the world”. Snowden had internally battled with himself for several years before making his revealment to the public, demonstrating cognitive dissonance. Contrary to cognitive dissonance however, Snowden eventually ended up divulging classified information to the world and many consider Snowden to be a hero for speaking up.
Read the article here. |
Distraught Boyfriend |
A video circulated on social media of a man confessing to the murder of his girlfriend and her lover. He states that his girlfriend had questioned him about coming home late one specific night. Suspicious, he comes home early to find her cheating on him with another man. He proceeds to go into a rage, and he claims he retrieved a hammer from the kitchen which he had used to kill his girlfriend and her lover. This is a real life example of a person who acted according to cognitive dissonance as the man had debated whether or not his girlfriend was cheating on him. Once his suspicions was confirmed, he killed her and the man she was with- satisfying his cognitive dissonance by going home and confirming his belief and further committing murder.
Read the article here. |
Additional Links |
How cognitive dissonance is related to hazing and marketing: http://jonathanyue1.blogspot.com/2013/03/cognitive-dissonance-is-used-in.html
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