'Cognitive Dissonance Theory and Racism'

'Since the field of brformer(a)ly psychology starting line began its investigation into the phenomenon of racial discrimination and prejudice, a t each(prenominal)y of fundamental theories shit been constructed in an essay to effectively conceive prejudice and give theoretical sharpness into the various slipway in which we as a society, individuals, and psychologists ar to help channelise this sizable world(prenominal) issue. Such friendly psychological theories accept: Authoritarian temperament Theory, The Frustration ill will Hypothesis, Realist Conflict guess, loving Identity Theory, friendly Learning conjecture, affectionate Cognition and cognitive discord theory. separately of these theories has provided theoretical insight into various primaeval factors that ar applicable to the formulation, maintenance, and expression of prejudice. However, of all the social psychological theories that have move to effectively believe prejudice and in so doing a ugment ways of decrease its grossly malign effects on the individual and society, Festingers (1957) theory of Cognitive Dissonance seems iodin of the virtually relevant to the clinical applications of working with antiblack individuals, primarily because the theory provides clinicians with both signifi butt endt conceptual and functional insight into two of the primary psychological elements that are close relevant to the mould of helping clients transpose their racist or prejudicial viewpoints in treatment, namely the comparative process that exists mingled with an individuals cognitions and the behavioral consequences that happen as a result. \nThe theory of cognitive dissonance, according to Festinger (1957), postulates that pairs of cognitions can be each related or unrelated to wholeness another. If two cognitions are related to single another, they are considered so to be both consonant or discrepant. For two cognitions to be consonant star must keep up di rectly from the other; they are considered dissonant if the inverse of one cognition follows from the other....'