Cognitive dissonance. In psychology, cognitive dissonance is the mental stress or discomfort experienced by an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time, or is confronted by new information that conflicts with existing beliefs, ideas, or values.[1][2] Leon Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance focuses on how humans strive for internal consistency.
When inconsistency (dissonance) is experienced, individuals tend to become psychologically uncomfortable and they are motivated to attempt to reduce this dissonance, as well as actively avoiding situations and information which are likely to increase it.[1] Relationship between cognitions[edit] Individuals can adjust their attitudes or actions in various ways. Stephan Lewandowsky: Denial of Science Always Involves a Component of Conspiratorial Thought. LskyetalPsychScienceinPressClimateConspiracy.pdf. The Role of Conspiracist Ideation and Worldviews in Predicting Rejection of Science. Abstract Background Among American Conservatives, but not Liberals, trust in science has been declining since the 1970's.
Climate science has become particularly polarized, with Conservatives being more likely than Liberals to reject the notion that greenhouse gas emissions are warming the globe. Conversely, opposition to genetically-modified (GM) foods and vaccinations is often ascribed to the political Left although reliable data are lacking. There are also growing indications that rejection of science is suffused by conspiracist ideation, that is the general tendency to endorse conspiracy theories including the specific beliefs that inconvenient scientific findings constitute a “hoax.” Stephan Lewandowsky – The Conversation. Stephan is a cognitive scientist, currently Chair of Cognitive Psychology at the University of Bristol.
Also Australian Professorial Fellow for the Cognitive Science Laboratories at the University of Western Australia, his research examines people’s memory and decision making, with particular emphasis on how people respond to corrections of misinformation. He has published over 120 scholarly articles, chapters, and books, including a recent journal article on how people process information about the Iraq War, which revealed the important role of skepticism in people’s ability to update their memories.
Past Events - Psychoanalysis at the Science Museum. 'Shrinking' the Climate Problem.