Routledge Dictionary of Economics, Second Edition
cognitive dissonance (D0)
The coexistence of discordant cognitions. As a consequence of this dissonance, people will avoid situations and information likely to increase such discomfort. This theory of Festinger’s, about an unpleasant state of tension, has been applied by economists to the explanation of work behaviour, home ownership and discrimination.
See also: economics and psychology
References
Akerlof, G. and Dickens, W.T. (1982) ‘The economic consequences of cognitive dissonance’, American Economic Review 72:307–19.
Festinger, L. (1957) A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, Evanston, IL: Row, Peterson.
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