My personal example that I constantly struggle with is my diet. I have always had a sweet tooth and a taste for the finer things. The consistent internal dialogue I have comes down to three things: 1. I justify some food because it is a treat or prize for accomplishing something, 2. I could be addicted to way worse things, 3. I have to eat, I am hungry, and Im craving something. Contradictory to my eating habits, my internal cognition is that I know that I should eat healthier. The previous research provide supportive evidence for this argument because reinforcement theory suggests that people like things that are rewarded; however, dissonance research show that people like things for which they suffer (Aronson, 1992) (Metin & Camgoz, 2011, p. 133). In my case, I have not resolved this aspect of cognitive dissonance; however, I think mindfulness and mild punishments will help this resolution.
Decreasing discomfort in the mind can be an effective motivator. Metin and Camgoz (2011) explained why mild punishments are more effective in changing attitudes compared to harsh punishments by summarizing the findings of the forbidden toy study performed by Aronson and Carlsmith (1963). They found that harsh punishments do not cause dissonance which does not change attitudes in the long run. Meanwhile, experiencing cognitive dissonance due to mild punishments motivates a change in thinking or opinion to become more psychologically comfortable. So, how might the power of cognitive dissonance change someones belief about the importance of not using their phone to talk or text while driving? Instead of harshly penalizing distracted drivers with fines, showing the aftermath of a car accident and explaining the consequences of distracted driving (death, injury, insurance complications, cost, etc.), then cognitive dissonance could cause the desired changed attitude of attentive driving.
Question: Since this discussion allowed for self-reflection on our own cognitive dissonance, are there any attitudes or behaviors you want to change by implementing effective cognitive dissonance?