Similarly, people who are in the throes of inconsistency in their social life are driven to resolve that inconsistency”. One of Leon Festinger’s early studies of cognitive dissonance investigated a cause of dissonance, and how people try to decrease or eliminate that feeling. A recent cognitive dissonance and addiction study conducted by addiction specialists at a treatment facility in 2020 revealed that 75% of participants experienced cognitive dissonance during their recovery. Successfully managing cognitive dissonance significantly increases the chances of maintaining long-term sobriety.
- In both examples, the reactions show that they are justifying their irrational behavior.
- They may include denying or compartmentalizing unwelcome thoughts, seeking to explain away a thought that doesn’t comport with others, or changing what one believes or one’s behavior.
- In laboratory studies, rats that were treated with methamphetamine during pregnancy gave birth to pups that, when they reached adulthood, were slow to learn spatial relationships and exhibited spatial memory impairment (Acuff-Smith et al., 1996; Slamberová et al., 2005).
- The concept of cognitive dissonance has been widely studied in the field of psychology for several decades [95].
2. Structural Equation Model
Simply put, a person experiencing cognitive dissonance will make any excuse to justify their thinking and minimize the anxiety and discomfort they may experience. When they’re asked difficult questions about their addiction, they may minimize the dangers of their actions. An alcoholic may know the dangers of drinking but likely tell themselves, “It’s just one drink.” Someone spiraling into addiction knows that what they’re doing is harmful. However, they may still choose to abuse these substances because they block unwanted thoughts and feelings.
- Since participants in the $20 condition had a more substantial justification (higher pay) already, they were further assumed to perceive less dissonance than those in the $1 condition.
- An individual’s genetic makeup can influence the degree to which a drug of abuse alters his or her cognitive processes.
- These findings indicate that the adolescent brain, which is still developing, is susceptible to insult from drug use and abuse, and such insult can result in long-lasting changes in affect and cognition.
- The T value can be further calculated by dividing the path coefficient by the standard deviation.
COGNITIVE DEFICITS IN CHRONIC DRUG ABUSE
Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person holds two related but contradictory cognitions, or thoughts. At any moment, someone’s aggravating behavior or our own bad luck can set us off on an emotional spiral that threatens to derail our entire day. Here’s how we can face our triggers with less reactivity so that we can get on with our lives.
What Influences Cognitive Dissonance?
For example, a recent discovery that has generated excitement in the addiction field is that smokers who suffered damage to the insula often lost their desire to smoke (Naqvi et al., 2007). The authors of this finding proposed that the insula is involved in the conscious urge to smoke and that therapies that modulate insula function may facilitate smoking cessation. It may also be that damage to the insula will have a https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/cognitive-dissonance-treatment-in-sober-living/ similar effect on the desire to use other drugs of abuse (for a review see Goldstein et al., 2009). Because people want to 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. For example, behaving in ways that are not aligned with your personal values may result in intense feelings of discomfort.
DRUGS OF ABUSE AND MENTAL ILLNESS
In the context of information systems, self-efficacy has been studied in relation to various aspects of user behavior, such as technology adoption, usage behavior, and satisfaction [99]. The relationship between self-efficacy and information overload has been extensively studied in prior research. For example, Islam, Whelan, and Brooks [93] found that self-efficacy is negatively related to information overload.
- Recent research has sought to account for the strikingly long-lasting ability of maladaptive drug-stimulus associations to influence behavior and provoke relapse.
- To resolve cognitive dissonance, a person can aim to ensure that their actions are consistent with their values or vice versa.
- The defense mechanisms that someone places around themselves to keep cognitive dissonance at bay need to be addressed to start the recovery process.
- A recent study conducted by addiction specialists at a treatment facility in 2020 revealed that 75% of participants experienced cognitive dissonance during their recovery.
The cognitive dissonance is effectively wiped clean by changing how they feel towards their addiction. The subconscious mind resolves cognitive dissonance by changing the individual’s perception of reality to restore balance as a mental defense mechanism. If one partner lies and then rationalizes the lie, the erosion of trust can damage the intimate connection between the partners. Trust is foundational in intimate relationships, and cognitive dissonance can undermine it by fostering deceit and rationalization. If a partner feels neglected but convinces themselves that their partner is merely busy, they avoid addressing the issue directly, leading to growing dissatisfaction and emotional distance. This tendency to avoid and rationalize conflicts prevents effective resolution and can erode trust and intimacy in a relationship.
