cognitive dissonance

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A conflict or anxiety resulting from inconsistencies between one's beliefs and one's actions or other beliefs.

Pronunciation

en-us-cognitive-dissonance.ogg

Word forms

cognitive dissonance cognitive dissonances

Etymology

Coined by American psychologist Leon Festinger. Dissonance was chosen to avoid the logical connotations of inconsistency.

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