Ep. 331 - The Doctor Is In Series - What Is Cognitive Dissonance?

Dec 1, 2025

Dive into the fascinating realm of cognitive dissonance, where your actions clash with your beliefs. Discover how this psychological tension affects self-identity and emotional regulation. Explore the fascinating connection between dissonance and personal growth, highlighting the importance of self-awareness. Learn about the neuroscience behind free choice and how avoiding discomfort can lead to harmful rationalizations. This engaging discussion also tackles extreme cases like dehumanization, making it clear that navigating dissonance is crucial for healthy relationships and self-understanding.

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INSIGHT

What Cognitive Dissonance Really Is

Cognitive dissonance is psychological tension when thoughts, beliefs, or behaviors conflict.
It is strongest when the conflict threatens core aspects of identity or moral self-concept.

INSIGHT

Why Free Choice Intensifies Dissonance

The brain seeks coherence between beliefs, values, and actions and activates conflict regions when mismatched.
Dissonance is especially strong when the behavior was freely chosen rather than coerced.

INSIGHT

Quick Fixes Replace True Resolution

People commonly resolve dissonance by changing beliefs, minimizing harm, or blaming others.
These motivated-reasoning strategies reduce anxiety quickly but impede true healing.

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Welcome to the Social-Engineer Podcast: The Doctor Is In Series – where we will discuss understandings and developments in the field of psychology.

In today's episode, Chris and Dr. Abbie explore cognitive dissonance, focusing on its impact on self-concept and emotional regulation. They discuss how dissonance occurs when actions conflict with core beliefs, creating psychological tension. Emphasizing self-awareness and reflection, they warn against rationalizing harmful behaviors and highlight the importance of embracing discomfort for personal growth and identity development. [Dec 1, 2025]

00:00 - Intro

00:26 - Dr. Abbie Maroño Intro

00:43 - Intro Links

- Social-Engineer.com - http://www.social-engineer.com/

- Offensive Security Vishing Services - https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/vishing/

- Offensive Security SMiShing Services - https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/smishing/

- Offensive Security Phishing Services - https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/smishing/

- Call Back Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/call-back-phishing/

- Adversarial Simulation Services - https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/adversarial-simulation/

- Social Engineering Risk Assessments - https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/social-engineering-risk-assessment/

- Social-Engineer channel on SLACK - https://social-engineering-hq.slack.com/ssb

- CLUTCH - http://www.pro-rock.com/

- innocentlivesfoundation.org - http://www.innocentlivesfoundation.org/

02:40 - The Topic of the Day: What is Cognitive Dissonance?

05:53 - A Threat to Self-Concept

07:49 - Commitment to Consistency

09:51 - Freedom to Choose

10:51 - Changing Beliefs

14:19 - Trying to Escape

18:21 - Going From Bad to Worse

21:53 - Self-Awareness is Key!

24:55 - Growth Hurts

28:49 - Everything, Not All At Once

29:43 - It's Not A Flaw

31:11 - Wrap Up

31:36 - Next Month's Topic: Is Everyone a Psychopath?

31:52 - Outro

- www.social-engineer.com

- www.innocentlivesfoundation.org

Find us online:

- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dr-abbie-maroño-phd

- Instagram: @DoctorAbbieofficial

- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christopherhadnagy

References:

Aronson, E. (1969). The theory of cognitive dissonance: A current perspective. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 4, 1–34.

Bandura, A. (1999). Moral disengagement in the perpetration of inhumanities. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 3(3), 193–209.

Brehm, J. W. (1956). Postdecision changes in the desirability of alternatives. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 52(3), 384–389.

Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford University Press.

Kunda, Z. (1990). The case for motivated reasoning. Psychological Bulletin, 108(3), 480–498.

Schumann, K., & Dweck, C. S. (2014). Who accepts responsibility for their transgressions? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 40(12), 1608–1622.

Sherman, D. K., & Cohen, G. L. (2006). The psychology of self-defense: Self-affirmation theory. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 183–242.

Staub, E. (1990). Moral exclusion, personal goal theory, and extreme destructiveness. Journal of Social Issues, 46(1), 47–64.

Steele, C. M. (1988). The psychology of self-affirmation: Sustaining the integrity of the self. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 21, 261–302.

van Veen, V., Krug, M. K., Schooler, J. W., & Carter, C. S. (2009). Neural activity predicts attitude change in cognitive dissonance. Nature Neuroscience, 12(11), 1469–1474.