Who am I: Number VII

[Mutawintji]

Who am I: Number VII


Explanations of Cognitive Dissonance:

In modern psychology, cognitive dissonance is the discomfort experienced when simultaneously holding two or more conflicting cognitions: ideas, beliefs, values or emotional reactions. In a state of dissonance, people may sometimes feel "disequilibrium": frustration, hunger, dread, guilt, anger, embarrassment, anxiety, etc.

The phrase was coined by Leon Festinger in his 1956 book When Prophecy Fails, which chronicled the followers of a UFO cult as reality clashed with their fervent belief in an impending apocalypse. Festinger subsequently (1957) published a book called A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance in which he outlines the theory. Cognitive dissonance is one of the most influential and extensively studied theories in social psychology.

The theory of cognitive dissonance in social psychology proposes that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance by altering existing cognitions, adding new ones to create a consistent belief system, or alternatively by reducing the importance of any one of the dissonant elements.It is the distressing mental state that people feel when they "find themselves doing things that don't fit with what they know, or having opinions that do not fit with other opinions they hold."

A key assumption is that people want their expectations to meet reality, creating a sense of equilibrium. Likewise, another assumption is that a person will avoid situations or information sources that give rise to feelings of uneasiness, or dissonance.

Cognitive dissonance theory explains human behavior by positing that people have a bias to seek consonance between their expectations and reality. According to Festinger, people engage in a process he termed "dissonance reduction", which can be achieved in one of three ways: lowering the importance of one of the discordant factors, adding consonant elements, or changing one of the dissonant factors. This bias sheds light on otherwise puzzling, irrational, and even destructive behavior.

People also tend to reaffirm already held beliefs: Congeniality bias (also referred to as Confirmation Bias) refers to how people read or access information that affirms their already established opinions, rather than referencing material that contradicts them. For example, a person who is politically conservative might only read newspapers and watch news commentary that is from conservative news sources. This bias appears to be particularly apparent when faced with deeply held beliefs, i.e., when a person has 'high commitment' to his or her attitudes.

The Fox and the Grapes

A classic illustration of cognitive dissonance is expressed in the fable The Fox and the Grapes by Aesop.

In the story, a fox sees some high-hanging grapes and wishes to eat them. When the fox is unable to think of a way to reach them, he decides that the grapes are probably not worth eating, with the justification the grapes probably are not ripe or that they are sour (hence the common phrase "sour grapes").

This example follows a pattern: one desires something, finds it unattainable, and reduces one's dissonance by criticizing it.

Cognitive Dissonance in blunt terms can be expressed as narrow-mindedness ... A refusal to see the broader picture, this refusal can be so deep seated that its act is unconscious. The reason for refusal is the fear of inner turmoil that ensues when we step outside our comfort zone.

When we spend a large sum of money that may not have been necessary, the 'high' of the acquisition is quickly followed by the depressive 'low' of spending scarce resources on what was not really necessary. (a common occurrence on this forum for all of us I fear purchasing unnecessary tools ... haaa)

We rationalise this by convincing ourselves it was a bargain, it will save money 'in the future', we needed it for such and such a reason .. ... and other such BS.




The Quiz Question:

Cognitive Dissonance is the ability that all humans possess, to tell ourselves comforting lies, convincingly and unknowingly, in order to avoid a truth we cannot explain or immediately accept..

What short Nursery Rhyme succinctly sums this up ?


(Google iz allowed !!)

Greg

[artme]

... and here was I thinking cognitive dissonance was the stress that arose from the conflict caused when the mind overrides the body's desire to kick the living shyte out of some twerp who actually deserved it!!!!

[Mutawintji]

Wow .... Looks like I am on a winner here. A google proof question .... Haahaa

Greg

[artme]

Mate, i growed up a long time ago!! I've forgotten most nursery Rhymes.

Was only when I was of more mature years that I twigged onto the real meaning of some of
those jingles. And to try to now associate any with cognitive dissonance ( undreamt of at the
time they wee composed ), is stretching the few good grey matter cells I have left.

Apart from that thieving liar of a Jack Horner I am bereft of ideas!

I think a snort or two of a good fluid may help.!

[Mutawintji]

I will wait and see if Big Shed drops in ... If not I'll give a clue.

greg

[Grommett]

Possibly Mary. One of the variants has cuckolds in a row!

[ian]

ring a ring of rosies
a pocket pull of posies
a'tish-u, a'tish-u
we all fall down


?

[artme]

No nursery rhymes about GW Bush are there?? He'd fit magnificently.

Thought of Little Miss Muffet... nah; Georgie Porgie .. nah; Mary, Mary.. have to think more on that but it doesn't seem to fit.
Sing a Song of Sixpence ...........Nah.

Process of elimination will be slow so I shall go to bed and sleep on it.

[Mutawintji]

Sorry Michael, Ian and Arthur ... All wrong.

Clue 1: Cognitive Dissonance .. Faced with a new concept, idea, reality .. You ignore it, mostly unconsciously, and reaffirm your own stability/reality by only allowing the familiar to penetrate your mind.


Itz a good clue ... And probably too much now given away.

Greg

[Grommett]

Hmmm. When Humpty Dumpty used a word it meant exactly what he meant, no more, no less.

[Mutawintji]

Sorry .. no .... nice try

This nursery rhyme literally describes the person seeing the 'new reality' and ignoring it ... unable to 'realise' it and so reducing it to the 'reality' he/she is familiar with.

Greg

[Grommett]

Hang on, what's the one about the kings new suit of clothes?

[Mutawintji]

Sorry .... but getting closer ... (by the inclusion of royalty)

Greg

[artme]

When Mary had a little lamb the doctor was surprised,
But when old MacDonald had a farm - He couldn't believe his eyes!!

[artme]

Now it's not Little Jack Horner, even though I can see two possibilities here.

It's not The Emperor's New Clothes, Mostly because I suppose this is a story,
not a nursery rhyme and not a short one at that. Mind you it is a beautiful fit.

So, from the clue given it has to involve royalty.

Does the reference to royalty need to be direct or can it be oblique or suggested?

It pains me to ask these questions.