Elliot Aronson, preeminent psychologist of the 20th century, discusses his pioneering work on making mistakes and cognitive dissonance with Adam Grant. They explore the dangers and upsides of rationalizing beliefs and strategies for making better decisions. They also discuss the practice of inviting TAs as guest lecturers and the lessons in persuasion. The guest shares valuable insights on choosing a life partner and the importance of rationality.

Elliot Aronson, preeminent psychologist, discusses his pioneering work on cognitive dissonance and rationalization. They explore the dangers of self-justification and strategies for better decision making. The podcast also touches on the power of vulnerability in teaching, the importance of persuasion and innovation in office supplies, reflections on career choices, the significance of practical work in psychology, and the keys to a happy marriage.

Exploring cognitive dissonance and biases, Carol Tavris discusses how our need to justify our beliefs leads to rationalization and mistreatment of others. She highlights the fallibility of human memory and cultural variations in handling cognitive dissonance. Strategies for navigating critical thinking and engaging with differing viewpoints are also explored, emphasizing the importance of objectivity and compassion.

Renowned social psychologists Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson are the co-authors of Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me), a book which explores the science of cognitive biases and discusses how the human brain is wired for self-justification. In this episode, Carol and Elliot discuss how our desire to reconcile mental conflicts adversely affects many aspects of society. The two give real-world examples to demonstrate the pitfalls in attempts to reduce mental conflict, or dissonance. The examples reveal that no one is immune to dissonance reduction behavior, how intellectual honesty can be trained and lastly, how to think critically in order to avoid engaging in harmful dissonant behaviors. We discuss: Carol and Elliot’s respective background, collaboration history, and their decision to write Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me) [4:00]; The theory of cognitive dissonance, and real examples of dissonance reduction in action [11:15]; How Elliot advanced the theory of cognitive dissonance [23:00]; The evolutionary reason for dissonance reduction, and cultural differences in what causes cognitive dissonance [30:30]; The great danger of smart, powerful people engaging in dissonance reduction [35:15]; Two case studies of cognitive dissonance in criminal justice [39:30]; The McMartin preschool case study—The danger in making judgements before knowing all the information [43:30]; How ideology distorts science and public opinion [56:30]; How time distorts memories [58:30]; The downside of certainty [1:05:30]; Are we all doomed to cognitive dissonance?—How two people with similar beliefs can diverge [1:09:00]; Cognitive dissonance in the police force [1:21:00]; A toolkit for overcoming cognitive dissonance [1:27:30]; Importance of separating identity from beliefs, thinking critically, & and the difficulty posed by political polarity [1:30:30]; How to impart the lessons from their work into future generations [1:48:00]; and More. Learn more: https://peterattiamd.com/ Show notes page for this episode: https://peterattiamd.com/caroltavris-elliotaronson/  Subscribe to receive exclusive subscriber-only content: https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/ Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: https://peterattiamd.com/newsletter/ Connect with Peter on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

Elliot Aronson, a prominent psychologist noted for his work on cognitive dissonance, dives into the fascinating realm of self-justification. He reveals how we create stories to defend our decisions, sometimes leading us astray, but suggests these rationalizations can also serve a positive purpose. The discussion uncovers the moral dilemmas we face and how cognitive dissonance can be a dual-edged sword—harmful yet potentially beneficial in achieving our goals. Aronson shares insights on leveraging this psychological tool for personal growth and social change.