COGNITIVE DISSONANCE


Meaning of COGNITIVE DISSONANCE in English

Mental conflict that occurs when beliefs or assumptions are contradicted by new information.

The concept was introduced by the psychologist Leon Festinger (1919–1989) in the late 1950s. He and later researchers showed that, when confronted with challenging new information, most people seek to preserve their current understanding of the world by rejecting, explaining away, or avoiding the new information or by convincing themselves that no conflict really exists.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.