Looking at the Bright Side
Looking at the Bright Side
(An Issue on Self-Persuasion and Cognitive Dissonance)
There are instances where people are made to do or face something which contradicts what they usually do, know or firmly live by. They find reasons, or sometimes excuses, why they have to change their beliefs or attitudes. You might have experienced this kind of problem. You may have hated or felt disappointment about this decision but you just tried to know the good points of making your decision. You might think, “Hey, I’ll just look at the bright side!”
The Communication Situation
The incident took place summer last year, when Ynes, now a UP Mindanao student, was about to enroll at the University of Sto. Tomas(UST) in Manila. She texted her father asking him to call her up. She wanted to ask his advice about the report card which she needed for enrollment. The conversation is as follows:
Dad: Wag ka na lang mag-UST
Ynes: Ha? eh gusto ko talaga e
Dad: Hindi natin mabigay yung report card mo e
Ynes: Ay... nasa UST na ako ngayon. Hindi na po talaga puwede?
Dad: Hindi din naman sure yung scholarship mo sa Salinggawi(dance troop)
Ynes: Hindi na ako mag-tuloy mag-enroll
Dad: Doon ka na lang sa UP Min
Ynes: Ay... sayang pinunta ko dito. Nakabayad na rin ako ng P5000
Dad: Mura din naman dun e
Ynes: ehh...
Dad: Wala na tayong magagawa diyan. Yun na yun e. Okay lang sayo.
Ynes: O sige. AT LEAST malapit sa bahay.
Inconsistency arises when behavior or perception disagrees to a person’s belief or attitude (Littlejohn and Foss, 2005, p. 77). This inconsistency may occur when you watch a movie in the cinema, but then, the story turns out to be cheesy. Something which deserves two thumbs down.
The given situation presents to opposing issues: 1) The want to study at UST; and 2) Incapacity to enter UST because she couldn’t pass the report card required for enrollment.
In Cognitive Dissonance Theory, Leon Festinger introduces dissonance – the distress one feels when there is “discord between behavior and belief.” The conversation shows that Ynes felt disappointment when she couldn’t enroll in UST. She had the notion that she will be studying in the college that she really wanted. However, this perception was blocked by the fact that she couldn’t enroll. Her report cards woulnd’t be passed on time for the deadline of the submission of requirements. This reality can be explained by the Theory of Cognitive Dissonance.
What followed were a series of statements where she and her father exemplify Festinger’s ways to somehow reduce dissonance.
Ynes and her father gave points to why or why not they should agree to with the dissonant behavior. People, as cited in colorado.edu, either devalue an existing belief or find a belief that will support to lessen dissonance.
The father mentioned a (somehow) negative possibility about Ynes entering UST. It is safe to say that the family planned for Ynes to apply for scholarship by joining the dance troop. This will help shorten the school expenses. Her father pointed out that the chance of acquiring the scholarship is uncertain. He then supports his statement by giving his daughter the option of enrolling at UP Mindanao. UP Min, as her dad says, has matriculation fees which are not also expensive. Thus, studying in Davao (her hometown), and not pursuing her dream college, can still aid them financially.
Ynes counters her statement by saying that it is really her desire to study in UST. Also, she enumerates the things which she has already accomplished for entering the university. Ynes mentions that she has given up money, time and energy for those finished requirements. Those efforts may just seem misused if she doesn’t enroll.
Her father they couldn’t already do anything about her efforts. They couldn’t pass the requirements. This leaves Ynes to just change mind and discard the thought of studying in UST. She concludes by just giving one of the benefits of staying in Davao. This reassures, or makes her believe, that her first perception may also provide her something that opposes her other beliefs. In her case, she uses the idea of “being close to home.” This will add up to the “bright sides” which will help her deal with the decision she made.
The greatness of dissonance depends on the importance of cognitive elements (like attitude, knowledge or belief) and the amount of elements involved in the dissonant relation. (Littlejohn and Foss).
More dissonance also occurs when there is great difficulty to reverse the situation(Griffin, 2001, p. 231). It would be more frustrating to have a bad haircut than having your hair dyed ugly because you can’t reattach the hair you lost. Well, you can try hair extensions, but that would seem impractical.
Also, when higher or more efforts are given in support to this behavior, the inconsistency felt will also rate as high. Of course, it will really displease you if some thing or place which you put a lot of effort on will crumble because of a dissonant behavior.
The dissonance experienced by Ynes increased with the importance of the beliefs that were conflicting. She may see that the factor of liking the school as very important. If not that, she might believe that the university will be the best for her. However, she may value her parents’ authority/decisions and financial practicality more than the first element.
Ynes has also put effort on going to UST and passing requirements for enrollment. She mentions this as one of her “excuses” or reasons why she doesn’t want to give up her dream. With this, Ynes expresses that her endeavors: time, money and all, have just come to waste. However, using efforts as excuses might just probably be not reasonable enough for her father to consider.
With the Ynes’ situation, the conflict she experienced is not really that difficult to reverse... or fix. She may shift on the next semester. An appeal for an extension (of passing requirements) may also be made and permitted. However, what may be frustrating for her is that if she shifted, the school may not credit the units she has earned. Other than that, she may really want to spend her first year of college in the campus. That, still, would seem as an unlikely and childish reason.
It is said in Cognitive Dissonance Theory that there is attitude change when dissonance occurs (skepdic.com). Has Ynes’ attitude really changed after agreeing to her father’s decision?
She may end up sulking and regretting her decision. Why would she trade the exciting UST and Manila life for calm UP and Davao? This situation is what psychologists call as Postdecisional dissonance. She may feel doubtful about the decision she made. To avoid feeling so depressed about her unwise decision, she may think of reasons why she shouldn’t think of lamenting. Some people might see these as lame excuses so that the person would not to worry. This incident also makes up for the statement: “Just look at the bright side!!!!”
Ynes will find new elements and beliefs to back her decision up. She may give reasons why studying in UP Mindanao and staying in Davao is a better choice. Giving (somewhat) negative remarks about the other place may just be right to put her worries at ease.
She could comment that by staying in Davao, she wouldn’t have to start all over again. Ynes may have the mindset that she will have to create a new circle of friends when she goes to Manila. She may hate the idea of being a loner or friendless.
She might also consider the fact that UP is the state university and that it produces very intellectual people. She may build a belief that people would question her if she would give up UP for UST.
As presented in the conversation, Ynes says that studying in UP will at least closer to their home. This act of support-seeking is due to a person’s tendency to yearn for homeostasis. A person prefers consistencies...thus would want to dissolve any dissonance that he encounters.(Littlejohn and Foss).
The Minimal Justification Hypothesis in the theory says that it attitude change depends on rewards earned(Griffin, 2001, pp.231-232). If Ynes receives big or many rewards for taking that decision, she may not have change in attitude. She may have made that decision to save more, be near home, have better allowance, etc. She does accomplish that. Nevertheless, there is not much dissonance to make her mind change. The idea of UST still being the most apt school for her may not yet be removed.
Festinger explains that for public compliance and private change to happen, an enough return or punishment should be given. She must first experience it, and have less rewards, to like it.
If Ynes experiences little rewards from opting for Davao, she is most likely to resolve that dissonant behavior by allowing attitude change. This would convince her to think that her previous beliefs may be discarded.
Cognitive Dissonance not only changes an attitude. Claude Steele proposed a self-affirmation approach where Ynes can think of good thoughts about herself. This “positive” way of reducing dissonance may help her forget such dissonance. Acts of denial, forgetfulness and trivialization may also bring her to decreasing the dissonance she has been having.(Griffin,236).
Ynes may think of or get involved with other activities which she is good in. She could probably engage herself to dancing or sports. Paying attention to what may boost her esteem will distract her from the dissonance which bothers her.
She may also deny her feeling of love toward what her previous ideas were. When she gains more self esteem, she would concentrate more on the good things. This could lead her to stages of denial. Ynes might also see her past dissonance as trivial when she gets preoccupied with new and engaging activities. She might think that what she used to think is already nonsense compared what she is having now.
Joel Cooper experesses that cognitive dissonance is also brought by “behaving in such a way as to feel personally responsible for bringing about an aversive event.”(Griffin, p.235). The father of Ynes may have foreseen her disappointment when he tells her about the report card. This may have brought him to ask Ynes’ opinion, or decision, about the given issue.
From what Ynes has experienced, it is not unusual to feel disappointed. Her reaction of “eh” and other excuses are in accordance to what Cognitive Dissonance Theory projects. People find ways to resolve their problems on bad decisions. They may avoid similar events, reassure themselves or rationalize their belief-opposing behaviors. Ynes reassures herself that there are things she won’t experience if she would move to Manila. Sure there are other opportunities that she would pass out with her decision, but she probably wanted safety first.
The conversation portrays how cognitive dissonance takes part in persuasion- from another person, or even with oneself.
Ynes’ father presented options which she might consider about the given situation. These persuade her to follow the path to the resolving the opposing behavior,She decided upon those options, and found that she could find no way out. Rather, she couldn’t find a way to still have that belief.... the UST dream.
One cannot conclude that her father was really against her will. He may have just provided facts she could use for postdecisional dissonance.
Ynes experiences self- persuasion when she decided not to follow her dream. It was assign of self assurance.
The usual ways to answer cognitive dissonance is through the expression of sour grapes. Ynes and other people, including I, look at the better sides when having post-decisional dissonance. Shoppers experience buyers’ remorse whenever they realize that a quality about something they bought doesn’t match their beliefs. People who receive gifts which they find displeasing would sometimes just find something they like in the present. This may be done to not show their disappointment to the giver.
Cognitive Dissonance asks people to persuade themselves to feel freedom from inner conflicts. It persuades people to forget, discard or devalue their beliefs, attitude and knowledge to match the public’s behavior.
Ynes decided and self-persuaded her dissonance to adapt to the behavior or remove the conflicts which she was experiencing. “Hey, I’ll just look at the bright side!”
Works Cited:
Carrol, Robert Todd. Cognitive Dissonance. Skepdic.com/cognitivedissonance.html. 2007
Coon, Dennis. Essentials of Psychology. 9th ed. Thompson learning inc. 2003.
Cognitivedissonance.changing minds.com.org/explanations/theories/cognitive_dissonance.htm
Cognitive Dissonace Theory. www.colorado.edu/communication/meta-discourse/papers/app_papers/Jean.htm
Foss, Karen and Littlejohn, Stephen W. Theories of Human Communication. 8th eds. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2005.
Griffin, Em. A First Look at Communication Theory. 6th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw Hill, 2006.
Kassin, Saul. Psychology.3rd ed. Prentice-Hall Inc. 2001.
