Known as one of the most studied theories, cognitive dissonance (CD) theory was developed by American social psychologist Leon Festinger in 1957. He proposed that individuals have a core belief system that affects attitude and actions. When conflict at this level arises, a person naturally desires to eliminate the conflict to alleviate the discomfort caused. Individuals want to avoid confronting their dissonance conflict, which can lead to a change in their attitude and behavior. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay Cognitive dissonance theory has evolved significantly since its birth in 1957. Originally, the theory focused on inconsistency between cognitive functions. Currently, cognitive dissonance is studied as a complex set of principles that integrate the overwhelming data collected over the past 50 years. Research on CD has evolved from studying theory at the individual level to studying theory within social groups, social media, and in correlation with emotions. (Cooper, 2019) We review some of these studies and the effect of their findings on cognitive dissonance theory in this article. Often, individuals experiencing discomfort due to dissonance conflict will find ways to avoid, neglect, or devalue knowledge that does not align with them. their belief system. Although changing behavior can be an effective way to overcome cognitive dissonance, it is difficult for individuals to break free from deeply ingrained belief systems and habits. This often leads to unsuccessful results. Individuals might also seek new information that outweighs conflicting evidence. Another way to possibly reduce cognitive dissonance is to reduce the importance of the belief system. People experiencing cognitive dissonance will try just about anything to reduce the feeling of anxiety due to the conflict they are facing. An individual's emotions and attitudes are closely linked. With this information, how do emotion theories regarding cognitive dissonance work? Can we have one without the other? There are many definitions of emotion and emotional episodes. For this article, we use Agnus Moors' definition of emotion as a multicomponent process. Moors states that an emotional episode encompasses all stages from stimulus to action. His study examines the cause of emotions and whether the causality of emotions affects an individual's actions. His results reveal that although the causality of emotions is based on several theories, they all impact an individual's actions. Most emotion research studies focus on feelings; However, Breslavs' study offers a new look at how emotions drive individuals to self-correct their actions. After reviewing the data, Breslavs concludes that emotions, guilt, and shame can cause a crisis of conscience and motivate action due to the conflict between one individual's values ​​and those of another. His research shows us that there may be a correlation between emotions and cognitive dissonance theory. Another study examined how good and bad emotions relate to the attitude-changing effect of cognitive dissonance. This study controlled for the basic emotion of each research group and found that emotion theories are extremely important forunderstand cognitive dissonance. These results again support further study on this topic. With a basic understanding of emotions as well as attitude change, the question arises as to which demographic group(s) are susceptible to cognitive dissonance. Joel Cooper and Lauren Feldman of Princeton University observed an unresolved problem in research regarding cogitative dissonance. No research on cognitive dissonance has been conducted with individuals 65 and older. They decided to conduct a study to determine at what age people no longer suffer from CD. The first study of this type in cognitive research searches for dissonance to observe, directly and indirectly, elderly people. Individuals were classified into six age groups defined as follows: young adult (18 years and over), adult age (18-29 years), 30-year-old (30-39 years), middle age (40-64 years), Elderly (65 years and over) and very elderly (85 years and over). The study results align with current dissonance theory, demonstrating that CD affects attitude and behavior at all ages, including Old and Very Old. Does the heavy dependence and accessibility to technology as well as social media influence the theory of cognitive dissonance? Throughout my youth, I had a family member who was at the center of many of my traumas. Often I would go against my instincts and what I knew was right because I felt like this person was family and, therefore, an exception to the rules. I found myself in constant turmoil when this person was involved. Ultimately, I completely disassociated myself from this person except on social media. I felt conflicted, completely cutting her out of my life even though I knew it was what was best for my mental, emotional, and physical health. However, when this person would message me or comment on something, I experienced a drastic attitude change due to my internal conflict. I continued to allow this person on my page for several years, despite my feeling that it was wrong. I found myself using one of CD’s common coping strategies of “explaining it.” It was easier to avoid conflict with the person and rationalize the conflict with myself; however, I eventually realized that it was unfair to me and my family. One day I realized that I had been making excuses long enough and I deleted this person from my social media. It was only then that I realized how much social media can affect a person's life, personal belief systems, attitude, and interactions. A study conducted this year investigated the effects of social media and the computer on an individual's behavior. What sets this study apart from other studies involving social media is the hypothesis including not only an individual's well-being, but also the behaviors that result from it. This study had to focus specifically on the psychological discomfort of individuals and their response to this distress. Researchers have determined that social media has a significant effect on individuals and significantly amplifies cognitive dissonance theory in behavior and attitude changes. This change is due to the fact that individuals are exposed to conflicting opinions several times a day. The result is extreme discomfort that affects them mentally and emotionally, linked to their behavior and attitude. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Personalized Essay It is :.2013.00179