How can you use cognitive dissonance theory to resolve conflicts in your program team?

1 What is cognitive dissonance?

Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person has two or more cognitions that are inconsistent with each other. Cognitions are any mental representations of knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, values, or behaviors. For example, a person may believe that smoking is harmful, but still smoke regularly. This creates a conflict between the cognition that smoking is bad and the cognition that smoking is enjoyable. To reduce the discomfort caused by this conflict, the person may either change one of the cognitions (e.g., quit smoking or deny the health risks), or justify the inconsistency (e.g., claim that smoking helps them relax or cope with stress).

2 How does cognitive dissonance affect conflicts?

Cognitive dissonance can also influence how people perceive and react to conflicts in their program team. For instance, a team member may have a positive self-image as a competent and cooperative professional, but also have a negative perception of another team member as incompetent and uncooperative. This creates a dissonance between the self-cognition and the other-cognition. To resolve this dissonance, the team member may either change their self-image or their perception of the other person, or rationalize the conflict (e.g., blame the other person for the problems or avoid communicating with them).

3 How can you identify cognitive dissonance in your program team?

One way to identify cognitive dissonance in your program team is to observe the signs of discomfort, defensiveness, or denial among your team members. For example, you may notice that some team members are reluctant to share their opinions, feedback, or concerns, or that they avoid or resist discussing certain issues or tasks. You may also notice that some team members are quick to criticize, blame, or dismiss others, or that they justify their actions or decisions with weak or inconsistent arguments. These behaviors may indicate that your team members are experiencing cognitive dissonance and are trying to cope with it in unproductive ways.

4 How can you understand cognitive dissonance in your program team?

Another way to understand cognitive dissonance in your program team is to ask open-ended and empathetic questions that help your team members explore and express their cognitions and emotions. For example, you may ask them what they think or feel about a certain situation, issue, or person, or how they would like to see it resolved. You may also ask them what they value or expect from themselves, others, or the program, or how they cope with challenges or stress. These questions may help your team members to recognize and acknowledge their cognitive dissonance and to understand its sources and impacts.

5 How can you reduce cognitive dissonance in your program team?

The final way to use cognitive dissonance theory to resolve conflicts in your program team is to facilitate and support your team members to reduce their cognitive dissonance in constructive ways. For example, you may help them to change or modify their cognitions to align with the reality or the goals of the program, or to accept and appreciate the diversity and complexity of the program team. You may also help them to find and create common ground, mutual understanding, and shared values among themselves, or to develop and implement collaborative solutions and actions. These strategies may help your team members to reduce their cognitive dissonance and to enhance their communication, cooperation, and performance.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?