1954 Festinger & Carlsmith's Cognitive Dissonance Study

Festinger & Carlsmith's Study

Every individual has his or her own way of evaluating their own selves and usually this is done by comparing themselves to others. This is manifested in the phenomenon called cognitive dissonance. This is further explained in Leon Festinger and James Carlsmith's study in 1954. Generally speaking, the social comparison theory explains how individuals evaluate their opinion and desires by comparing themselves to others. In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort experienced by a person who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values. This discomfort is triggered by a situation in which a person’s belief clashes with new evidence perceived by the person.