When there are conflicts between cognitions (thoughts, beliefs, and opinions), people will take steps to reduce the dissonance and feelings of discomfort. Because people want to cognitive dissonance and addiction avoid discomfort, cognitive dissonance can have a wide range of effects. We may engage in behaviors or adopt attitudes to help relieve the discomfort caused by the conflict.

New data shows poor mental health impedes creativity

  • However, cognitive dissonance can also be a tool for personal and social change.
  • Participants from both study groups were interviewed after the study, and again at six months, and one, two and three years after the study.
  • The developing brain is particularly susceptible to the effects of drugs of abuse; prenatal, childhood, and adolescent exposures produce long-lasting changes in cognition.

Sometimes learning new information can lead to feelings of cognitive dissonance. For example, if you engage in a behavior that you later learn is harmful, it can lead to feelings of discomfort. People sometimes deal with this by finding ways to justify their behaviors or findings ways to discredit or ignore new information.

cognitive dissonance and addiction

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  • In other words, their attitude was shaped by their behavior (lying)” (Cooper and Carlsmith, 2002).
  • For example, a person who cares about the environment but drives a vehicle that isn’t fuel efficient might recycle or volunteer for environmental causes to compensate.
  • 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.

Our goal is to break the cycle of addiction by equipping you with the tools you need to stay healthy and avoid a relapse. We understand you might have reached a point where you feel helpless, hopeless or desperate, and we will help you counteract those painful states of mind by meeting you with empathy, compassion and love. Reach out to our admissions counselors whenever you’re ready to learn more. Psychologist Kia-Rai Prewitt, PhD, explains how https://ecosoberhouse.com/ to manage this feeling of discomfort, what’s known as cognitive dissonance, and how it can affect your mental health and other relationships when left unchecked. There’s a certain kind of confidence that comes with being grounded in your beliefs. It feels good knowing you’re able to uphold certain values, like the ones you learned from your parents and caregivers or the ones you’ve carved out for yourself based on your own personal experiences.

Challenge your beliefs

The hidden biases that drive anti-vegan hatred – BBC.com

The hidden biases that drive anti-vegan hatred.

Posted: Mon, 03 Feb 2020 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Cognitive dissonance plays a role in many value judgments, decisions, and evaluations. Becoming aware of how conflicting beliefs impact the decision-making process is a great way to improve your ability to make faster and more accurate choices. A person who cares about their health might be disturbed to learn that sitting for long periods during the day is linked to a shortened lifespan.

cognitive dissonance and addiction

The observed enhancements might have reflected the reversal of withdrawal effects, rather than improvements over their normal cognitive powers. A subsequent review of the literature, however, suggests that acute nicotine enhances reaction time and attention in nicotine-naïve individuals (Swan and Lessov-Schlaggar, 2007). Rajiv a 45 year old gentleman, presented with long history of alcohol dependence. His father and maternal uncle were heavy drinkers (predispositions to drinking, social learning). Rajiv was anxious since childhood (early learning and temperamental contributions) and avoided social situations (poor coping).

LEARNING IN THE MIND AND BRAIN

  • Specific training steps to suit patients in the Indian setting have been described16,17.
  • Working with a variety of targets helps in generalization of gains, patients are helped in anticipating high risk situations33.
  • The first step in planning a cognitive behavioural treatment program is to carry out a functional analysis to identify maintaining antecedents and set treatments targets, select interventions.
  • Patterns of movement through the various stages are categorized as stable, progressive or unstable11.
  • In addition to therapy, support, and counseling from Lantana are essential components of addiction recovery.
  • The ones that received a dollar were more likely to rate the activity highly.

It doesn’t just influence how you feel; it also motivates you to take action to reduce feelings of discomfort. Once a choice has been made, however, people need to find a way to reduce these feelings of discomfort. We accomplish this by justifying why our choice was the best option so we can believe that we made the right decision. The inconsistency between what people believe and how they behave motivates them to engage in actions that will help minimize feelings of discomfort. People attempt to relieve this tension in different ways, such as by rejecting, explaining away, or avoiding new information. If you experience cognitive dissonance, think about what result each of these actions will have in the long term before adopting them as a coping strategy.

What Strategies Can Help Manage Cognitive Dissonance in Recovery?

cognitive dissonance and addiction

  • Our goal is to break the cycle of addiction by equipping you with the tools you need to stay healthy and avoid a relapse.
  • It refers to a state of congruence between a persons beliefs and behaviors.
  • Many people need to hit personal rock bottom to see through the denial and decide that they’ve had enough.
  • Finally, understanding how prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse changes neural development should be a high priority, as prenatal exposure increases the new generation’s susceptibility to addiction and other problems.

How to resolve cognitive dissonance