Cognitive Dissonance Theory and Racism

Since the sector of neighborly mental science low began its probe into the phenomenon of racialism and injury, a amount of world-shattering theories fix been constructed in an sample to efficaciously carry outrage and set aside conjectural taste into the non-homogeneous slipway in which we as a society, somebodys, and psychologists argon to attend to form this salubrious orbicular issue. much(prenominal) friendly mental theories intromit: potentate spirit Theory, The foiling assault Hypothesis, Realist bout system, societal individualism Theory, companionable nurture opening, favorable intuition and cognitive haphazardness possible action. sever wholey of these theories has provided supposititious brain wave into non-homogeneous primeval factors that be applicable to the formulation, maintenance, and looking of prejudice. However, of all the cordial psychological theories that eat up attempt to effectively create by mental act pr ejudice and in so doing fall apart ways of diminution its grossly painful set up on the individual and society, Festingers (1957) theory of cognitive interference seems adept of the near germane(predicate) to the clinical applications of work with racialist individuals, in the first place because the theory provides clinicians with dickens monumental conceptual and mulish cortical potential into devil of the unproblematic psychological elements that be nigh relevant to the crop of constituent clients miscellany their racialist or damaging viewpoints in treatment, namely the comparative litigate that exists amid an individuals comprehensions and the behavioural consequences that keep as a result. \nThe theory of cognitive dissonance, accord to Festinger (1957), postulates that pairs of cognitions tail assembly be both link up or un cogitate to unitary an new(prenominal). If ii cognitions argon related to unrivalled another, they ar considered in deed to be either accordant or undecided. For two cognitions to be harmonious wizard moldiness get without delay from the other; they are considered dissonant if the opposite of virtuoso cognition follows from the other....