:What is cognitive dissonance?
hi Thegoodgirl,
the theory of cognitive dissonance was one of the first things that i learned in my deconversion process. once a person realizes they are a victim of it in a serious way (like being a member of a cult), they can step back from their situation intellectually and say: "i am going to follow the facts wherever they lead me." and, that's how a lot of people start questioning the org.
Give me three good non-JW examples of COGNITIVE DISSONANCE?
by ithinkisee 12 Replies latest jw friends
-
tetrapod.sapien
-
tetrapod.sapien
bander,
hey, welcome. yes, exactly. double-think. -
M.J.
Severe initiation or "hazing" leads to a stronger commitment to a group. e.g. boot camp, fraternity pledging, etc:
Research has shown that people exhibit greater liking of an organization that subjects them to severe initiation than to one that subjects them only to a mild initiation. This result can be explained by cognitive dissonance theory. There is conflict between the negative affect that the person experiences in response to the initiation, since the person has chosen to go through the initiation to gain entrance to the organization. This conflict produces discomfort and tension. The person can resolve this tension by justifying the initiation as "worth it" because of the positive things he or she will gain from the benefits of membership. The more effort put into the justification process, the more attachment the person has to the organization. The more difficult the initiation, the greater the need for justification. Thus the stronger the commitment to the organization.