Shape the belief, shape the behaviour
(Cognitive dissonance and the power of post-rationalising)
A friend calls. She’s broken up with her girlfriend and needs your support.
You’re at work and say you’ll come as soon as you can.
The night rolls on and you don’t make it.
You’ve let your friend down.
But, that can’t be right, you’ve always prided yourself on being a loyal and supportive friend.
You tell yourself that the best way to get over a relationship is to listen to music alone.
You feel better. You’re not a bad friend after all. She needed to be on her own.
That feeling of discomfort is called Cognitive dissonance.
The post-rationalising that occurred is how people manage it.
Cognitive dissonance occurs when we hold contradictory beliefs or values, or when our actions compete with our beliefs.
Ergo, it happens all the time.
It’s an irritating feeling, so we get rid of it by moderating our beliefs to make them consistent with our actions.
We spend our lives post-rationalising.
The most common example is smoking.
Smokers know there is a high likelihood cigarettes could kill them, but they keep on chuffing regardless.
So they create a new belief to justify their habit…
Smoking reduces my anxiety
Smoking helps me write
Smoking gives me time to myself
Cognitive dissonance is more obvious when we make a mistake or behave badly.
A heavy night on the drink is post-rationalised the morning after as a “reward for hard work”.
The shame of losing your temper can be quickly quelled by telling yourself “I’m under a lot of pressure at home”.
Gambling “is something proper sports fans do” and persistent lateness is a “personality trait” not an inconvenience to others.
We moderate our beliefs to justify our behaviour.
And these beliefs are powerful.
Without them our actions start to become suspect, so we’re motivated to sustain them.
When people are incentivised to do a task, their rationale is clear.
Do task, get reward.
Don’t get reward, don’t do task.
But if people weren’t incentivised to do something, they will create their narrative for why they did it
This self-constructed belief strengthens a person’s attachment to the action.
Since these stories we tell ourselves are powerful, can they be a force for good?
Beliefs are barriers to action,
so reshape them.
We can use the theory of cognitive dissonance to promote positive behaviours, not merely to help defeat demons.
Below is a simple four step approach to create strategies that make positive use of cognitive dissonance.
Mission
What behaviour are you trying to get people to adopt?
2. Belief
What competing belief do they hold?
3. Barrier
What barrier to action does this create?
4. Moderate
What single minded message will moderate cognitive dissonance and remove the barrier?
Three quick examples
Challenge
Help red meat eaters make healthier food choices more often
Belief
Being a foodie means prioritising taste
We eat the fat on a steak because that’s where the flavour lives.
Barrier
Eating healthily means sacrificing taste at the alter of sanctity.
Moderate
Plants have complicated taste profiles that need to be explored.
Post-rationalisation
“I haven’t eaten that veggie lunch because I’ve prioritised health above taste, I’ve spent time testing my palate.”
Challenge
Increase footfall to art galleries amongst young people
Belief
Galleries are a drain on time, they don’t give anything back.
Barrier
Going to a gallery won’t give me an immediate benefit.
Moderate
Losing yourself in a work of art is stimulant that changes the way you think about the world
Post-rationalisation
“I haven’t spent an afternoon staring paintings, I’ve spent the afternoon getting high”
Challenge
Getting the “I’m always busy” white collar worker to maintain an exercise regime
Belief
Spare time is precious, it should be used to stimulate the mind
Barrier
Exercise is boring.
A monotonous undertaking that shuts the mind down.
Moderate
To make exercise a consistent behaviour it needs to be interesting.
Make life more interesting for your body. Frame the burn as physical evidence that your body is interested in the action.
Post-rationalisation
“I haven’t spend the time switching my mind off, I’ve switched my body on.”
Behaviour change starts with understanding barriers.
Cognitive dissonance shows us the connection between beliefs and action; we shape our beliefs to substantiate what we do.
What beliefs are getting in the way of the positive behaviours you’re looking to create?
We can make use of cognitive dissonance by providing a solution to people that encourages them to feel they can take action whilst remaining true to the values they cherish.
Post-rationalising. A force for good.