Group therapy, for example, enhances recovery by tapping into one’s natural social instincts. Group therapy and other methods must be prefaced with https://ecosoberhouse.com/ the “beginner’s mind,” however. One cannot reason with someone on drugs or use logic and data to persuade them out of their distorted reality.
Acquire new information that outweighs the dissonant beliefs.
Because people want to avoid discomfort, cognitive dissonance can have a wide range of effects. We may engage in behaviors or adopt attitudes to help relieve the discomfort caused by the conflict. For example, the cognitive dissonance you might experience after choosing between two equally appealing options isn’t necessarily destructive unless you choose an option that will cause harm to yourself or someone else over an option that won’t. If both options are equally harmless, changing your beliefs to support the option you chose won’t have any long-term negative impacts. Cognitive dissonance may help you make positive changes in your life, but it can also be destructive, especially when you look for ways to rationalize and continue harmful behaviors. If you’re experiencing cognitive dissonance, it’s best to ask yourself if the strategies you’re using to cope with it will result in a positive long-term outcome.
Factors That Influence Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive dissonance (conflict and guilt) and personal attribution effect (blaming self as cause for relapse). Individuals who experience an intense AVE go through a motivation crisis that affects their commitment to abstinence goals30,31. The Trans theoretical model (TTM), describes stages of behavioral change, processes of change and the decisional balance and self-efficacy which are believed to be intertwined to determine an individual’s behaviour11. Various psychological factors were significant in initiating and maintaining Rajiv’s dependence on alcohol.
Cognitive strategies in managing addictive behaviours
The stronger the discrepancy between thoughts, the greater the motivation to reduce it (Festinger, 1957). If you know texting and driving is dangerous, for example, changing the behavior will protect you and others in the long term. On the other hand, changing your perception of the behavior by telling yourself you have enough driving experience to text and drive safely cognitive dissonance addiction will not have the same long-term outcome. However, if a person finds that they have difficulty stopping a behavior or thinking pattern that is causing them distress, they can seek support from a qualified healthcare professional, such as a primary care doctor or therapist. Explore how presenting a misleading image of social and emotional wellness affects mental health.
Dangers of Cognitive Dissonance for Substance Abusers
COGNITIVE DEFICITS IN CHRONIC DRUG ABUSE
- Brehm (1956) was the first to investigate the relationship between dissonance and decision-making.
- For example, a person may believe that drinking too much alcohol is bad, but they still continue to indulge in this behaviour.
- This study, which is grounded in the theoretical framework of “Cognition-Emotion-Behavior intention,” develops an influencing mechanism model based on cognitive dissonance and self-efficacy.
- Cognitive dissonance is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when a person holds two contradictory beliefs at the same time.
- Festinger referred to this need to reduce dissonance as the principle of cognitive consistency.
- Every time you see the membership tag on your keychain, it reminds you of that pesky truth — that exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle.
- The current body of literature indicates a growing trend of discontinuous usage intentions among users of social media platforms.
- The skills I developed there regarding logistics and operations, combined with my personal interactions with those in recovery and self-help, greatly helped me to make a successful transition into the drug and alcohol rehabilitation field.
- MET adopts several social cognitive as well as Rogerian principles in its approach and in keeping with the social cognitive theory, personal agency is emphasized.
- If you took the job you would miss your loved ones; if you turned the job down, you would pine for the beautiful streams, mountains, and valleys.
Leave a Reply