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Cognitive Dissonance: Difference between revisions
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=Definition= | =Definition= | ||
Cognitive dissonance is a term used in modern psychology to describe the feeling of discomfort when simultaneously holding two or more conflicting thoughts: ideas, beliefs, values or emotional reactions. In a state of dissonance, people may sometimes feel "disequilibrium": frustration, nausea, dread, guilt, anger, embarrassment, anxiety, etc. | Cognitive dissonance is a term used in modern psychology to describe the feeling of discomfort when simultaneously holding two or more conflicting thoughts: ideas, beliefs, values or emotional reactions. In a state of dissonance, people may sometimes feel "disequilibrium": frustration, nausea, dread, guilt, anger, embarrassment, anxiety, etc.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance Most of the material in this article has been adapted from the Cognitive Dissonance article in Wikipedia]</ref> | ||
[[Image:Cognitive-dissonance.jpg|right|thumb|370px|A simple example of '''''cognitive dissonance''''']] | [[Image:Cognitive-dissonance.jpg|right|thumb|370px|A simple example of '''''cognitive dissonance''''']] | ||
=Cause and Effects= | =Cause and Effects= | ||
Dissonance is created when your brain attempts to process information that is inconsistent with other information that it holds to be true. This can be as simple as the example of the color chart on the right or the much more difficult dissonance that results when information is received that is opposed to a person's fundamental beliefs. | Dissonance is created when your brain attempts to process information that is inconsistent with other information that it holds to be true. This can be as simple as the example of the color chart on the right or the much more difficult dissonance that results when information is received that is opposed to a person's fundamental beliefs. | ||
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The process of attempting to eliminate cognitive dissonance is referred to as '''''dissonance reduction'''''. Many Message Believers deal with the dissonance created by William Branham's failed prophecies by avoiding websites like this. A number of Message Ministers have supported this approach by preaching that members of their churches should avoid the internet altogether. | The process of attempting to eliminate cognitive dissonance is referred to as '''''dissonance reduction'''''. Many Message Believers deal with the dissonance created by William Branham's failed prophecies by avoiding websites like this. A number of Message Ministers have supported this approach by preaching that members of their churches should avoid the internet altogether. | ||
==Conditions required for cognitive dissonance== | |||
Festinger stated that five conditions must be present if someone is to become a more fervent believer after a failure or disconfirmation: | |||
#A belief must be held with deep conviction and it must have some relevance to action, that is, to what the believer does or how he or she behaves. | |||
#The person holding the belief must have committed himself to it; that is, for the sake of his belief, he must have taken some important action that is difficult to undo. In general, the more important such actions are, and the more difficult they are to undo, the greater is the individual's commitment to the belief. | |||
#The belief must be sufficiently specific and sufficiently concerned with the real world so that events may unequivocally refute the belief. | |||
#Such undeniable disconfirmatory evidence must occur and must be recognized by the individual holding the belief. | |||
#The individual believer must have social support. It is unlikely that one isolated believer could withstand the kind of disconfirming evidence that has been specified. If, however, the believer is a member of a group of convinced persons who can support one another, the belief may be maintained and the believers may attempt to proselytize or persuade nonmembers that the belief is correct.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_Prophecy_Fails When Prophecy Fails - Wikipedia article]</ref> | |||
=Examples= | =Examples= | ||
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In the summer of 1954, Festinger was reading the morning newspaper when he encountered a short article about Dorothy Martin, a housewife in Chicago who was convinced that the apocalypse was coming. Martin had experimented with automatic handwriting and started getting messages from an extra-terrestrial from the planet Clarion. , a few years before, but now the messages were getting eerily specific. According to the alien, human civilization would be destroyed by a massive flood before dawn on December 21, 1954. | In the summer of 1954, Festinger was reading the morning newspaper when he encountered a short article about Dorothy Martin, a housewife in Chicago who was convinced that the apocalypse was coming. Martin had experimented with automatic handwriting and started getting messages from an extra-terrestrial from the planet Clarion. , a few years before, but now the messages were getting eerily specific. According to the alien, human civilization would be destroyed by a massive flood before dawn on December 21, 1954. | ||
Martin’s prophecy soon gained a small band of followers. They trusted her messages, they had left jobs, college, and spouses, and had given away money and possessions to prepare for their departure on a flying saucer which was to rescue the group of true believers, who called themselves ''the Brotherhood of the Seven Rays''. | |||
Festinger realized that the Brotherhood of the Seven Rays would make a great research subject and infiltrated the group by pretending to be a true believer. Festinger wanted to study the reaction of the cultists on December 21, when the prophecy failed. | Festinger realized that the Brotherhood of the Seven Rays would make a great research subject and infiltrated the group by pretending to be a true believer. Festinger wanted to study the reaction of the cultists on December 21, when the prophecy failed. | ||
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This bias sheds light on otherwise puzzling, irrational, and even destructive behavior. | This bias sheds light on otherwise puzzling, irrational, and even destructive behavior. | ||
=Followers of William Branham's message= | |||
Cognitive dissonance has been | Cognitive dissonance has been repeatedly seen in the followers of William Branham when presented with the evidence available on this website. | ||
==5 conditions met in followers of William Branham== | |||
Festinger stated that five conditions must be present if someone is to become a more fervent believer after a failure or disconfirmation. With respect to followers of William Branham, these have been identified as follows: | |||
#The belief that William Branham is a prophet of God is held with deep conviction and, in most cases, creates a significant change in the life style of message believers. | |||
#Following the "message" generally involves a significant personal commitment. This will also often involve significant confrontation with family members and close friends and a deep separation from these people. For women, it generally involves a complete change in dress and hairstyle that is obvious to friends and relatives. | |||
#Belief in the message of William Branham is very specific with respect to prophecies which have been shown to have failed. Additionally, specific statements of William Branham have been shown to be lies. Sufficient evidence to unequivocally refute belief in William Branham have been presented on this website. | |||
#Undeniable disconfirmatory evidence has been presented and has been recognized as such by many ministers and individual believers in the message. | |||
#The individual believer has a social support that is derived from the message church that they attend. | |||
==Specific examples in "message believers"== | |||
Cognitive dissonance has been created in a number of people that have viewed the information on this website and we have been able to view the impact through email correspondence with message believers and interactions on our Facebook discussion page. Followers of William Branham's message are rarely prepared to actually put their beliefs under the microscope and actually examine them in the light of independent, objective analysis. | |||
If the dissonance is not reduced by changing one's belief in the message, then message believers restore consonance through '''misperception''' (allowing the truth to be distorted by one's own perceptions); rejection or refutation of the information that we are presenting; seeking support from other message believers in rejecting the information presented on this website; and attempting to persuade others that the information that is contained on this website is wrong. | If the dissonance is not reduced by changing one's belief in the message, then message believers restore consonance through '''misperception''' (allowing the truth to be distorted by one's own perceptions); rejection or refutation of the information that we are presenting; seeking support from other message believers in rejecting the information presented on this website; and attempting to persuade others that the information that is contained on this website is wrong. | ||
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#[[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] - To deal with this failed prophecy, followers of William Branham search out explanations that are rooted in conspiracy theory. | #[[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] - To deal with this failed prophecy, followers of William Branham search out explanations that are rooted in conspiracy theory. | ||
=References= | |||
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