Cognitive Dissonance Theory – What Do You Think?

One proposition implicit in Festinger’s theory is that we don’t always behave based on what we believe; rather, what we believe may be the result of how we have already behaved.

This proposition seems to me a chicken or egg scenario.
In my view the most common behavioural explanation behind many posts on this forum are displacement theory, transference and denial.
In laymans terms - Johnny always got told what to do when he was a little boy by his father. Therefore when we give Johnny good advice, we remind him of his father. We become the father and the repressed impulses are redirected toward the poster. Denial and self delusion become the remedy of choice and the basis for an outstanding audio system - 'the best I've heard'.

I think cognitive dissonance has been misinterpreted. it arises from a conflict between two perceptions. it is a defense mechanism.

it is a way of misrepresenting what you actually believe about an action, product or opinion.

here is an example. you buy a car, and someone tells you either the car is inferior , or you could have purchased the same car for a lower price. your response is a justification of your action to defend yourself from looking foolish in the eyes of another person.

cognitive dissonance entails making an excuse that might be socially acceptable, when you wish you had not taken the action in the first place.

I could think of an example in audio, when someone buys a solid state amplifier and the result is a degradation in the sound of his stereo system.

when someone points this out, a cognitive dissonance is created and some explanation is offered for the purchase, to justify it.

of course, with foresight, one can avoid such instances, or "mistakes", which are sometimes cited by another person, which often causes discomfort and results in a white lie.

I regret everything...

Here's the experimental example of Cognitive Dissonance that I remember from college: If you ask folks in a neighborhood to display a 3x6 foot sign in their yard to promote seat belt use, almost all of them say "No." If you ask a different sample of folks in the same neighborhood if they will sign a _petition_ regarding seat belt usage, almost all of them say "Yes." The kicker is, if you go back and ask the petition-signers if they will put the big-ass sign in their yard, a whole lot of them will now say "Yes." They don't want to behave for it and against it; that would be cognitive dissonance. Allowing the big sign allays the dissonance.