cognitive dissonance
/ˈkɒɡnɪtɪv ˈdɪsənəns/
noun
Origin
Latin
cognoscere / dissonare — to know / to disagree in sound
Overview
Meaning Now
- The mental discomfort or psychological stress experienced by a person who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values simultaneously.
- The state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, especially as relating to behavioral decisions and attitude change.
Language path
Latin → English
Earliest form
cognitive dissonance
Earliest period
1957
Journey
The term was popularized by Leon Festinger's 1957 book. He proposed that individuals have an inner drive to hold all their attitudes and beliefs in harmony and avoid disharmony (dissonance). When there is an inconsistency between attitudes or behaviors, something must change to eliminate the dissonance.
Evolution
- Classical Latin
cognoscere
“to get to know, recognize”
- Classical Latin
dissonare
“to sound differently, be discordant”
- 1957
cognitive dissonance
“psychological theory of mental tension”
Coined by Leon Festinger
Connections
Word parts
cognit-
root
knowing
-ive
suffix
tending to
dis-
prefix
apart
son-
root
sound
Related across languages
French
dissonance cognitive
cognitive dissonance
Italian
dissonanza cognitiva
cognitive dissonance
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Related to cognitive dissonance
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.