Back to School and Cognitive Dissonance

The term cognitive dissonance means to have conflicting feelings, beliefs, or behaviors that cause internal discomfort. It can also describe the feeling of disappointment one feels when things do not go as anticipated. With schools across the country returning to their own personal version of a new academic year this month, students, teachers, staff, and parents collectively face the potential for repeatedly experiencing different forms of cognitive dissonance.  The rural Georgia county I reside in is fortunate to have a low number of local cases and our school system has returned in person, with the option to go online. While my two sons were beyond excited to return to their traditional classroom setting, albeit with some precautionary differences, I know in the back of my mind some type of quarantine or closure could be on the horizon at any time. How can I help my children cope with what will surely feel like a “setback” if they are to suddenly return to in-home virtual schooling? Cognitive dissonance is an important signal. It signifies to us that something is amiss. Whether we are required to change our beliefs or our behavior in order to restore harmony is an evaluative process we must work through. Reconciling internal dissonance is a great skill to teach children early on, as they will face a multitude of “disappointments” throughout their lives. The process of decision-making inherently carries some cognitive dissonance, because in any decision, we are face...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Children and Teens College Parenting Students Back To School Cognitive Dissonance coronavirus COVID-19 online education virtual learning Source Type: blogs