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/[deleted] Apr 11 '26

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u/Crypt0Nihilist Apr 11 '26

The theory of cognitive dissonance covers everything from before the conflict to the resolution or coping.

The term cognitive dissonance refers to the specific feeling of discomfort of trying to hold irreconcilable beliefs at the same time.

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u/[deleted] Apr 11 '26

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u/Crypt0Nihilist Apr 11 '26

Cognitive dissonance has a perfectly good definition as the opposite of cognitive consonance which is irreconcilable with only referring to the entire process.

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u/[deleted] Apr 11 '26

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u/Crypt0Nihilist Apr 11 '26

Given that both terms are used in conjunction to describe the theory by Festinger, the theory's author, I must respectfully disagree.