Name: Sumaira Iqbal

3rd semester
Section B
SAP: 70078199
Subject: Media communication theories
Submitted to: Mam Maleeha Amin

Introduction:
The theory of cognitive dissonance refers to contradiction in thoughts, ideologies or actions.
The disharmony created by this psychological theory propels emotional and mental
discomfort that promotes impulsive or irrational decisions. A very common example used to
highlight the main theme of cognitive theory is of smoking. It is a scientific fact and almost
everyone who smokes has the awareness that smoking is injurious to health. Therefore, it is a
disharmony between beliefs and actions when people smoke despite being aware of its side
effects. Having two beliefs which are poles apart regarding a certain issue, making actions
that go against of one’s beliefs, knowing the right thing yet deciding to choose the wrong or
opposite of it all stems from the concept of cognitive dissonance. Cognitive Dissonance not
just only initiates an emotional war within a person’s brain but it also dominates their actions,
speech and decisions. People tend to give detailed justifications for their actions or make
impulsive decisions all under the influence of a psychological conflict.
The concept of cognitive dissonance was first developed by Leon Festinger in 1957. The
psychologist explained that having a contradiction between actions and beliefs produces a
state of discomfort. Today, cognitive dissonance is among the most widely studied and
analysed theories of psychology. The uncomfortable impulse to settle down the mental
contradiction is known as the principle of cognitive consistency. Following are some
commonly known factors upon which Cognitive Dissonance has an influence:
* Mentality
* Behaviour
* Actions and decisions
The mental discomfort is experienced only in the case when someone is aware of one
principle that is right yet their mind proposes something opposing to it. Ignorant attitude
usually do not initiates a mental conflict and so effects of dissonance do not occur. Therefore,
a positive aspect of this theory is that it can help people analyse themselves, give up on bad
habits and make a good change in their life.

Cognitive Dissonance in movies:

Since a long time media has become a primary platform to promote social and cultural
ideologies. It is a great responsibility to portray a social or cultural aspect. The visualisation
should give justice to any aspect it aims to demonstrate. In today’s revolutionary world media
is not just a source of entertainment but a channel to speak up for or against new ideas and
thoughts. However, the responsibility is not always proficiently fulfilled. There are various
movies, documentaries or programs that fail to give a solid portrayal of what it aims at or
stands for. Dissonance is a very common form of conflict that visual entertainment can
promote. An example of a movie that promotes cognitive dissonance is Wuthering Heights.

Basic plot of Wuthering Heights:

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Wuthering Heights is a film based upon a very famous book by Emily Brontë. The general
plot of the movies revolves around an adopted boy named Heathcliff and Catherine
Earnshaw, the daughter of the man who adopts him. Upon the death of the man who adopted
Heathcliff, his son Hindley grows ever so stern towards Heathcliff and makes him to work
tirelessly in the stables. The story unfolds tragically when Catherine refuses the love of
Heathcliff and chooses to marry a rich, noble man. The rejection makes Heathcliff headstrong
and rigid and Catherine to become more bitter towards herself and others. The fierce denial of
Heathcliff and Catherine to accept their love for each other brings wrath and destruction for
several other lives linked to them.
Examples of Cognitive Dissonance in the movie:
The foremost form of cognitive dissonance in Wuthering Heights is the inability or denial of
Catherine to accept her feelings for Heathcliff. The movie depicts an English era when social
norms like class difference were far too dominating and damaging than today. Catherine was
a lady and was tied up with several norms of the society like marrying a well off suitor.
Falling in love with Heathcliff deviated Catherine from this social responsibility. This can be
recognised as a form of cognitive dissonance because the woman faced a mental disharmony.
Her brain challenged her with the feelings she had and with the social norms she was tied to.
Marrying a farm boy would have earned her disrespect and mockery. As a result of this inner
conflict, her brain triggered an impulsive response from her. She fiercely rejected Heathcliff
in fact disrespected his feelings for her. The effect of dissonance caused Catherine to face her
conflict with denial. She formulated a destructive decision in her mind which was to never
accept her feelings for Heathcliff and marry someone who has a good repute in the society.
Forging her love for Heathcliff, marrying Edgar Linton and then forever struggling to love
him, all are a form of cognitive dissonance that Catherine faced. It all set her into a turmoil of
emotional depression that she could not bare with. Catherine in a way chose to fulfil the
social norms but because her brain was under dispute because of the strong feelings she had it
propelled her to make destructive decisions and become verbally disrespectful. All the
toxicity depicted in her character stems from the conflict of her thoughts and beliefs i.e.
cognitive dissonance.

Catherine’s character in the movie is very headstrong but the way she acted upon her thoughts
highlights another example pf cognitive dissonance in the movie. The concept of feminism
was emerging in that era and Catherine’s bold character depicts it a lot. However, dissonance
became significant in her character when she acted against her true self. Catherine’s character
was not of the kind to be bended or moulded yet the dissonance created made her choose
social norms over her feelings. Her character had a lot of fieriness which she could have used
to speak up for the love she had for Heathcliff. Catherine could have acted as a defence not
only for herself but also Heathcliff. However, she became a victim of cognitive dissonance.
Her heart may have wanted to be with Heathcliff yet she chose social class instead and
moreover, became defensive as well. It was a form of fierce defence that Catherine denied her
feelings her entire life. She used her denial as form of comfort that rejecting Heathcliff was
the right thing to do but. However, because she felt so strongly for Heathcliff, denying her
love caused her to feel the conflict of her emotions with devastating effects.

Another example of cognitive dissonance in Wuthering Heights is the transformation of

Heathcliff’s character after Catherine rejecting him for his social and financial status. The

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rejection set Heathcliff on the path of cognitive dissonance. He chose to mask every ounce of
feelings he had for anyone and became an extremely stern and stoic. Not only did Catherine
and Heathcliff faced an inner conflict they also ruined lives of people who were related to
them. Heathcliff made it a matter of ego. He earned everything that Catherine denied him for
but the more he grew close to shedding off his lower class identity, the more he became
empty and rigid. He saw or valued no one’s affection for him. Masking his emotional side
and portraying to be unfazed by anything or anyone is a form is form of dissonance in his
character because he began to act against his true self.

Conclusion:
Wuthering Heights is a movie that reflects many conflictive thoughts and beliefs within its
characters. The above three examples of cognitive dissonance are like the pillars of the main
plot of the movie. Heathcliff’s and Catherine’s love was destructive for themselves as well as
for those associated with them. Their conflicts and inner battles gave birth to a classical
tragedy of all times.

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References:

Perlovsky, L. P. (2013, May 10). A challenge to human evolution—cognitive dissonance.

Harmon-Jones E., Amodio D. M., Harmon-Jones C. (2009). Action-based model of

dissonance: a review, integration, and expansion of conceptions of cognitive conflict, in
Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Vol. 41, ed Zanna M. P. (Burlington, MA:
Academic Press; ), 119–166

Wuthering Heights (1992). (2005).