What is cognitive dissidents

Cognitive dissonance: Definition, effects, and examples

Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort a person feels when their behavior does not align with their values or beliefs. It can also occur when a person holds two contradictory beliefs at the same time.

Cognitive dissonance is not a disease or illness. It is a psychological phenomenon that can happen to anyone. American psychologist Leon Festinger first developed the concept in the 1950s.

Read on to learn more about cognitive dissonance, including examples, signs a person might be experiencing it, causes, and how to resolve it.

A note about sex and gender

Sex and gender exist on spectrums. This article will use the terms “male,” “female,” or both to refer to sex assigned at birth. Click here to learn more.

Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person holds two related but contradictory cognitions, or thoughts. The psychologist Leon Festinger came up with the concept in 1957.

In his book A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, Festinger proposed that two ideas can be consonant or dissonant. Consonant ideas logically flow from one another, while dissonant ideas oppose one another.

For example, a person who wishes to protect other people and who believes that the COVID-19 pandemic is real might wear a mask in public. This is consonance.

If that same person believed the COVID-19 pandemic was real but refused to wear a mask, their values and behaviors would contradict each other. This is dissonance.

The dissonance between two contradictory ideas, or between an idea and a behavior, creates discomfort. Festinger argued that cognitive dissonance is more intense when a person holds many dissonant views, and those views are important to them.

It is not possible to observe dissonance, as it is something a person feels internally. As such, there is no set of external signs that can reliably indicate a person is experiencing cognitive dissonance.

However, Festinger believed that all people are motivated to avoid or resolve cognitive dissonance due to the discomfort it causes. This can prompt people to adopt certain defense mechanisms when they have to confront it.

These defense mechanisms fall into three categories:

Avoiding: This involves avoiding or ignoring the dissonance. A person may avoid people or situations that remind them of it, discourage people from talking about it, or distract themselves from it with consuming tasks.
Delegitimizing: This involves undermining evidence of the dissonance. A person may do this by discrediting the person, group, or situation that highlighted the dissonance. For example, they might say it is untrustworthy or biased.
Limiting impact: This involves limiting the discomfort of cognitive dissonance by belittling its importance. A person may do this by claiming the behavior is rare or a one-off event, or by providing rational arguments to convince themselves or others that the behavior is OK.

Alternatively, people may take steps to try to resolve the inconsistency. It is possible to resolve cognitive dissonance by either changing one’s behavior or changing one’s beliefs so they are consistent with each other.

Some examples of cognitive dissonance include:

Smoking: Many people smoke even though they know it is harmful to their health. The magnitude of the dissonance will be higher in people who highly value their health.
Eating meat: Some people who view themselves as animal lovers eat meat and may feel discomfort when they think about where their meat comes from. Some researchers refer to this as the “meat paradox.”
Doing household chores: A male might believe in equality of the sexes but then consciously or unconsciously expect their female partner to do most of the household labor or childrearing.
Supporting fast fashion: A person might be aware of the effects of fast fashion on the environment and workers but still purchase cheap clothes from companies that engage in harmful practices.

Anyone can experience cognitive dissonance, and sometimes, it is unavoidable. People are not always able to behave in a way that matches their beliefs.

Some factors that can cause cognitive dissonance include:

Forced compliance: A person may have to do things they disagree with as part of a job, to avoid bullying or abuse, or to follow the law.
Decision-making: Everyone has limited choices. When a person must make a decision among several options they do not like or agree with, or they only have one viable option, they may experience cognitive dissonance.
Effort: People tend to value things they work hard for highly, even if those things contradict a person’s values. This may be because viewing something negatively after putting in a lot of hard work would cause more dissonance. So people are more likely to view difficult tasks positively, even if they do not morally agree with them.

Another factor that can create cognitive dissonance is addiction. A person might not want to engage in dissonant behavior, but addiction can make it feel physically and mentally difficult to bring their behavior into alignment with their values.

Cognitive dissonance can affect people in a wide range of ways. The effects may relate to the discomfort of the dissonance itself or the defense mechanisms a person adopts to deal with it.

The internal discomfort and tension of cognitive dissonance could contribute to stress or unhappiness. People who experience dissonance but have no way to resolve it may also feel powerless or guilty.

Avoiding, delegitimizing, and limiting the impact of cognitive dissonance may result in a person not acknowledging their behavior and thus not taking steps to resolve the dissonance. In some cases, this could cause harm to themselves or others.

However, cognitive dissonance can also be a tool for personal and social change. Drawing a person’s attention to the dissonance between their behavior and their values may increase their awareness of the inconsistency and empower them to act.

For example, a 2019 study notes that dissonance-based interventions may be helpful for people with eating disorders. This approach works by encouraging patients to say things or role-play behaviors that contradict their beliefs about food and body image. This creates dissonance.

The theory behind this approach is that in order to resolve the dissonance, a person’s implicit beliefs about their body and thinness will change, reducing their desire to limit their food intake.

The study found that this intervention was effective for heterosexual women but less effective for nonheterosexual women for reasons that are unclear.

The most effective way to resolve cognitive dissonance is for a person to ensure that their actions are consistent with their values, or vice versa.

A person can achieve this by:

Changing their actions: This involves changing behavior so it matches a person’s beliefs. Where a full change is not possible, a person could make compromises. For instance, a person who cares about the environment but works for a company that pollutes might advocate for change at work, if they cannot leave their job.
Changing their thoughts: If a person often behaves in a way that contradicts their beliefs, they may come to question how important that belief is or find that they no longer believe it. Alternatively, they might add new beliefs that bring their actions more closely in line with their thinking.
Changing their perception of the action: If a person cannot or does not want to change the behavior or beliefs that cause dissonance, they may view the behavior differently instead. For example, a person who cannot afford to buy from sustainable brands might forgive themselves for this and acknowledge that they are doing the best they can.

Cognitive dissonance is not a mental health condition, and a person does not necessarily need treatment for it. However, if a person finds that they have difficulty stopping a behavior or thinking pattern that is causing them distress, they can seek support from a doctor or therapist.

A person may wish to consider this if:

they have an addiction
the behavior causes problems at work, at school, or in relationships
they feel stressed, anxious, or low
they feel overwhelming guilt or shame

Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person’s behavior and beliefs do not complement each other or when they hold two contradictory beliefs. It causes a feeling of discomfort that motivates people to try to feel better.

People may do this via defense mechanisms, such as avoidance. Alternatively, they may reduce cognitive dissonance by being mindful of their values and pursuing opportunities to live those values.

A person who feels defensive or unhappy might consider the role cognitive dissonance might play in these feelings. If they are part of a wider problem that is causing distress, people may benefit from speaking with a therapist.

Cognitive dissonance: Definition, effects, and examples

Cognitive dissonance is not a disease or illness. It is a psychological phenomenon that can happen to anyone. American psychologist Leon Festinger first developed the concept in the 1950s.

Read on to learn more about cognitive dissonance, including examples, signs a person might be experiencing it, causes, and how to resolve it.

A note about sex and gender

Sex and gender exist on spectrums. This article will use the terms “male,” “female,” or both to refer to sex assigned at birth. Click here to learn more.

Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person holds two related but contradictory cognitions, or thoughts. The psychologist Leon Festinger came up with the concept in 1957.

For example, a person who wishes to protect other people and who believes that the COVID-19 pandemic is real might wear a mask in public. This is consonance.

If that same person believed the COVID-19 pandemic was real but refused to wear a mask, their values and behaviors would contradict each other. This is dissonance.

These defense mechanisms fall into three categories:

Avoiding: This involves avoiding or ignoring the dissonance. A person may avoid people or situations that remind them of it, discourage people from talking about it, or distract themselves from it with consuming tasks.
Delegitimizing: This involves undermining evidence of the dissonance. A person may do this by discrediting the person, group, or situation that highlighted the dissonance. For example, they might say it is untrustworthy or biased.
Limiting impact: This involves limiting the discomfort of cognitive dissonance by belittling its importance. A person may do this by claiming the behavior is rare or a one-off event, or by providing rational arguments to convince themselves or others that the behavior is OK.

Some examples of cognitive dissonance include:

Smoking: Many people smoke even though they know it is harmful to their health. The magnitude of the dissonance will be higher in people who highly value their health.
Eating meat: Some people who view themselves as animal lovers eat meat and may feel discomfort when they think about where their meat comes from. Some researchers refer to this as the “meat paradox.”
Doing household chores: A male might believe in equality of the sexes but then consciously or unconsciously expect their female partner to do most of the household labor or childrearing.
Supporting fast fashion: A person might be aware of the effects of fast fashion on the environment and workers but still purchase cheap clothes from companies that engage in harmful practices.

Anyone can experience cognitive dissonance, and sometimes, it is unavoidable. People are not always able to behave in a way that matches their beliefs.

Some factors that can cause cognitive dissonance include:

Forced compliance: A person may have to do things they disagree with as part of a job, to avoid bullying or abuse, or to follow the law.
Decision-making: Everyone has limited choices. When a person must make a decision among several options they do not like or agree with, or they only have one viable option, they may experience cognitive dissonance.
Effort: People tend to value things they work hard for highly, even if those things contradict a person’s values. This may be because viewing something negatively after putting in a lot of hard work would cause more dissonance. So people are more likely to view difficult tasks positively, even if they do not morally agree with them.

Cognitive dissonance can affect people in a wide range of ways. The effects may relate to the discomfort of the dissonance itself or the defense mechanisms a person adopts to deal with it.

The theory behind this approach is that in order to resolve the dissonance, a person’s implicit beliefs about their body and thinness will change, reducing their desire to limit their food intake.

The study found that this intervention was effective for heterosexual women but less effective for nonheterosexual women for reasons that are unclear.

The most effective way to resolve cognitive dissonance is for a person to ensure that their actions are consistent with their values, or vice versa.

A person can achieve this by:

Changing their actions: This involves changing behavior so it matches a person’s beliefs. Where a full change is not possible, a person could make compromises. For instance, a person who cares about the environment but works for a company that pollutes might advocate for change at work, if they cannot leave their job.
Changing their thoughts: If a person often behaves in a way that contradicts their beliefs, they may come to question how important that belief is or find that they no longer believe it. Alternatively, they might add new beliefs that bring their actions more closely in line with their thinking.
Changing their perception of the action: If a person cannot or does not want to change the behavior or beliefs that cause dissonance, they may view the behavior differently instead. For example, a person who cannot afford to buy from sustainable brands might forgive themselves for this and acknowledge that they are doing the best they can.

A person may wish to consider this if:

they have an addiction
the behavior causes problems at work, at school, or in relationships
they feel stressed, anxious, or low
they feel overwhelming guilt or shame

People may do this via defense mechanisms, such as avoidance. Alternatively, they may reduce cognitive dissonance by being mindful of their values and pursuing opportunities to live those values.

Cognitive disorders in elderly patients

All news

12.07.2021

Cognitive disorders is one of the most common syndromes in the practice of a neurologist, which, unfortunately, is diagnosed most often at an advanced stage, when the possibilities of therapy are significantly limited.

Let's start in order.

What are cognitive functions - these are the most complex functions of the brain, with the help of which the process of rational knowledge of the world is carried out and purposeful interaction with it is ensured. These include:

Attention - the ability to maintain the level of mental activity required for mental work and focus mental activity on the actual task.
Memory - the ability to capture, store and repeatedly reproduce the information received during life.
Speech - the ability to verbal communication in oral and written form, including the understanding of addressed speech and the construction of one's own statement.
Perception (gnosis) - the ability to perceive and recognize information coming from the senses.
Praxis - the ability to acquire, maintain or use various motor skills.

Control (regulatory) functions is the ability to control one's cognitive activity and behavior, including planning and monitoring the implementation of actions taken.

It is worth highlighting two degrees of cognitive impairment - moderate cognitive impairment and dementia .

Moderate cognitive impairment is a transitional condition in which there is a decrease in cognitive function, but does not lead to social maladaptation. For example: the patient is able to fully take care of himself in everyday life, but the patient spends much more time and effort, which leads to complaints of memory loss, absent-mindedness, irritability, general weakness, etc.

Dementia - neuropsychiatric syndrome, in which the structure of which is an acquired long-term (more than 6 months) clinically significant cognitive decline in the form of severe cognitive impairment, causing social and professional maladjustment and loss of habitual functioning of varying severity.

Main causes of cognitive disorders:

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.
Cerebrovascular diseases - chronic and acute cerebrovascular accident (DEP, stroke)
Metabolic disorders causing "brain damage" - chronic lack of oxygen, diseases of the liver, kidneys, carbohydrate metabolism disorders, thyroid diseases, deficiency of vitamins B1, B12, folic acid, proteins, poisoning with toxic substances or drugs
Traumatic brain injury
Brain tumors
CSF metabolism disorder (hydrocephalus)
Autoimmune diseases (multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis)
Infectious diseases (meningitis, encephalitis, viral diseases)

How to suspect a cognitive impairment?

Pay attention to yourself, and even more so to your loved ones over the age of 65, if a person has begun to avoid communication, walking, has difficulties in communication, domestic services, or orientation in the area has been disturbed, then it is advisable to consult a neurologist and neuropsychologist.

What diagnostics should be carried out first of all in case of cognitive decline?*

Examination by a neurologist, neuropsychologist, psychotherapist
MRI of the brain / with limitations CT of the brain
CBC, OAM, ECG, biochemical blood test, coagulogram, blood test for the concentration of vitamin B1, B12 and folic acid

Further, after examining a neurologist and receiving the results of the research, an in-depth study, diagnosis and selection of treatment with a rehabilitation program will be carried out.

With early identification of the cause of cognitive impairment, there is a high probability of effective recovery or a significant improvement in the quality of life!

_____________________________________________________________________________________

*Lyadov clinics have all the necessary range of equipment and specialists for comprehensive diagnostics, treatment and rehabilitation of patients with cognitive impairments of any severity.

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Cognitive abilities: what it is and how to develop it

Every day, cognitive skills help us solve simple and complex problems. The level of our life, career and health depends on how developed mental abilities are

What is
How to change
How to improve

The fact that the brain is a “muscle” that also needs to be trained has long been known. It has been proven [1] that people who have been actively engaged in mental work throughout their lives, for example, taught at a university, are less likely to experience dementia, or it comes to them much later. Special attention was paid to the “pumping” of cognitive abilities [2] after the first waves of the pandemic, when it turned out that coronavirus infection affects attention and memory, reduces mental activity and provokes Alzheimer’s disease.

Neuroplasticity allows the development of cognitive functions of the brain both in youth and in adulthood and even advanced age. Thanks to this, we can continuously learn, master languages, succeed at work and just in everyday life, full of tasks and puzzles.

What is cognitive ability

Cognitive ability is the ability of the brain to absorb and process information about the world around us. These include memory, attention, cognitive flexibility, imagination, speech, the ability to reason logically, perceive information with the senses. Cognitive abilities distinguish a person from an animal, they are necessary for survival and development. They allow us to remember the way from home to work, read documents thoughtfully, cook dinner at the same time and communicate with family members.

Attention

Attention is the ability to concentrate on a task for a long time, even if there are distractions around or if you are multitasking at the same time. This skill is especially valued by employers - often they are looking for multitasking employees who are productive in a rush job.

Divided attention is responsible for the ability to focus on different things, for example, listening to the teacher, looking at the blackboard and taking notes of the lecture at the same time. Focused attention allows you to concentrate on only one stimulus or action.

Inhibition or inhibitory control helps to keep concentration on something, ignoring or suppressing external factors. Thanks to inhibition, we don’t get distracted by the phone while studying important material, we don’t get up in the middle of a meeting because our leg is numb, we don’t suddenly interrupt the speaker if a question arises.

Attention is directly related to our memory. If you can't focus on information properly, you won't be able to remember and recall it. Problems with concentration lead to frequent mistakes, untimely completion of projects, conflicts in the team if you inattentively listened to the interlocutor and did not show proper participation.

Memory

Memory allows us to reproduce experiences and impressions experienced in the past, to recall signs of objects and phenomena, poems, formulas, recipes, birthdays and other information that enters the brain.

Imagine that you are riding a bicycle past people, signs, houses and cars. You capture these objects, but forget about them after half a second, because you do not need this information. This is how instant memory works. If you can keep the image of a passerby in your head for 30 seconds, then 9 helped you0171 short-term memory . It is she who helps us to maintain a conversation without losing its essence, and to read books, remembering the plot.

Short-term memory gives access to long-term memory . The same passer-by can get into her halls if he surprised you with something, evoked vivid associations and emotions. The likelihood that you will remember this person for a long time will increase if you meet him on your route every day.

Memory affects our ability to navigate in space, ride a bike years later without practice, drive a car, keep the names of colleagues in our heads and feel nostalgic for the old days decades later.

Cognitive flexibility

Mind flexibility allows you to adapt to new conditions, quickly change your strategy and look for alternative solutions to a problem. Cognitive flexibility comes in handy when you need to come up with a non-standard way out of a situation, move from one activity to another, endure failure and work through mistakes.

Did you run out of oatmeal for breakfast? Cognitive flexibility will prevent you from going to work hungry and help you come up with a different dish. Accident and traffic jam on the usual route? A person with flexible thinking will find a new way and be in time for an important meeting. Is your colleague arguing and holding a different opinion than you? A flexible mind has made you tolerant, mobile, and now you can take the place of your opponent, learn new information for yourself and find a compromise.

If a person has difficulty adapting to new conditions and cannot move away from his usual path, this indicates cognitive rigidity . Such a person will look for oatmeal until he realizes that he is late, remains in traffic and quarrels with a colleague, fiercely defending his point of view. Cognitive rigidity strives to take its toll, as the human brain strives for stability, certainty and security. Therefore, it can be easier for us to stick to an established pattern of behavior than to restructure our strategy and step into the unknown. But it is worth remembering that running away from any change and otherness is fraught with unpleasant consequences - inefficiency at work, frequent stress and a low standard of living.

Auditory and visual perception

Auditory and visual processing allows you to interpret any information that you receive through images or sounds. The brain processes such signals at lightning speed. The sound of an ambulance siren is easily recognized and causes an alarm. The red light of the traffic light calls to slow down at the intersection. A rapidly approaching car hints at the same thing.

The surrounding world is filled with sound and visual signals, and if a person loses the ability to perceive them, then the brain loses part of the information about the world. A child with poor eyesight does not see from the board and does not understand part of the material, a person with hearing impairments does not hear the call of a cyclist approaching from behind. The appearance of the interlocutor, his facial expressions, gestures, manner of speech and voice can tell a lot about him without words. Furrowed brows, jerky movements, and loud remarks from your boss will certainly adjust your plan of action if you come in to ask for a pay raise.

Information processing speed

It takes time to capture and process information. Someone solves problems faster, someone slower - and this does not say anything about the mental abilities of a person, but sets a certain pace for his life. A person who needs more time for reading, mathematical calculations, logical reasoning and decision-making simply does it longer, but no less qualitatively. The speed of perception of information, if necessary, can be "pumped" and make the computational processes in the head easier, freer, which, of course, helps us in learning and working.

How cognitive abilities change

As a rule, cognitive skills are most actively formed in childhood, when the brain is more plastic and easily builds new paths in neural networks. Therefore, it is often said that it is easy to learn new things in childhood. But this is not a sentence for an adult.

Yes, with age, people's memory deteriorates [3] and the speed of information processing slows down [4]. After 30 years, a person becomes more conservative, his worldview has already been largely formed, the experience he has experienced protects against mistakes, and without them there is practically no development.

Nevertheless, constant learning and openness to new horizons, according to the report of the International Economic Forum "The Future of Jobs" [5], remain the most sought-after skills today.

Natural cognitive decline can be controlled through education. An experiment was set up at the University of California [6] - they offered elderly subjects 15 hours a week (bachelor's load) to study Spanish, photography, drawing, music, and iPad functions. Within three months, short-term memory and mental flexibility improved in older students to the level of 30-year-old and younger participants in the experiment.

It turns out that learning is especially useful with age. Education allows you to develop cognitive skills, and cognitive skills help you learn more effectively.

How to improve your cognitive abilities

1. Be physically active

Scientists have proven [7] that 30 minutes of aerobic and strength training per day improves brain function by 5-10%. Sports oxygenate your blood and make your heart beat faster, which increases the activity of the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning. The good old physical activity is good for the body, and for the spirit, and for the development of mental abilities.

2. Get enough sleep

Before an exam or any other important event, we are often advised to get a good night's sleep, and for good reason. When we sleep, our brain is restored and the next morning is again ready for mental exploits. Lack of sleep, in turn, causes a loss of concentration and attention. Get 7-9 hours of sleep each day and try to stay up at least before midnight to get the most out of your night's rest.

3. Reduce your stress level

In a state of stress, it is difficult to concentrate on a task, remember important information and fix new information. In conditions of chronic, constant stress, cognitive abilities decline even faster. Try to eliminate sources of tension and anxiety, meditate, engage in breathing practices, or consult a psychologist to achieve peace of mind and make progress in school or work.

4. Maintain and nurture social connections

In The Resilient Brain, Sanjay Gupta, MD, neurosurgeon, notes that people with close social circles are more likely to experience sleep and immune system disturbances, and loneliness in old age leads to dementia more quickly . People who lead an active social life, on the contrary, notice an improvement in their cognitive abilities.

Especially important is not the number of friends and acquaintances, but the quality of communication with them. Close relationships and a strong emotional connection help reduce stress levels and increase mental skills. Researchers recommend playing team games, meeting with loved ones more often, visiting interest clubs, volunteering, and getting a pet.

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