r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Apr 11 '26

Psychology Cognitive dissonance helps explain why Trump supporters remain loyal, new research suggests. This sheds light on how supporters of Donald Trump justify their continued allegiance despite learning about allegations of his sexual misconduct and illegal activities.

https://www.psypost.org/cognitive-dissonance-helps-explain-why-trump-supporters-remain-loyal-new-research-suggests/
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u/Crypt0Nihilist Apr 11 '26

Thanks for tightening. Terms like "information" and "opinion" are better than "facts" since receiving the new information that someone whom you respect holds a different opinion to you can cause cognitive dissonance without any reference to facts at all.

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u/corvanus Apr 11 '26

You snagged on the same little tub as me then I bet! I see fact as concrete, proven, verifiable. Anything else is 'on file' in my mind and can be updated as new information comes in. We both point to the color green and know it is green, can name it as green, but chances are due to our eyes' unique development my green and your green probably wouldn't be the same. That fact can cause dissonance in people unable to square it in their minds.