Hi Gabe! Great article. I enjoyed every word! I do have a question. Incongruence sounds like cognitive dissonance. Is cognitive dissonance a form of incongruence? How do they differ? Thanks!
Hey Ali! They're very similar, and they're often used interchangeably in mainstream psychology; however, for the sake of definitions, they do differ a bit. For Cognitive dissonance, we're primarily discussing the discomfort resulting from the presence of conflicting beliefs. They're similar in that congruence is talking about an alignment between our thoughts, feelings, and actions, but where they diverge is the "social" implications of congruence.
About a week ago, I heard the term "leaky feelings," and that is the best way to describe where they differ. When someone is incongruent, it has social ramifications; often, it can erode our personal relationships because it can create a sense of distrust and uneasiness in whoever may be sensing it. An additional difference is that we're also talking about the awareness that we're even feeling any kind of discomfort. Without getting too technical, cognitive dissonance can be a symptom of incongruence. Another way I can put it is that both cognitive dissonance and incongruence have to do with self-trust, while congruence/incongruence also includes relational trust. The social aspect is defined in the sense that there are times when being incongruent is appropriate (think customer service or feeling the urge to laugh at a funeral), but for the most part, cognitive dissonance is maladaptive on its own.
I hope that answers your question! Feel free to ask any clarifications!
Hi Gabe! Great article. I enjoyed every word! I do have a question. Incongruence sounds like cognitive dissonance. Is cognitive dissonance a form of incongruence? How do they differ? Thanks!
Hey Ali! They're very similar, and they're often used interchangeably in mainstream psychology; however, for the sake of definitions, they do differ a bit. For Cognitive dissonance, we're primarily discussing the discomfort resulting from the presence of conflicting beliefs. They're similar in that congruence is talking about an alignment between our thoughts, feelings, and actions, but where they diverge is the "social" implications of congruence.
About a week ago, I heard the term "leaky feelings," and that is the best way to describe where they differ. When someone is incongruent, it has social ramifications; often, it can erode our personal relationships because it can create a sense of distrust and uneasiness in whoever may be sensing it. An additional difference is that we're also talking about the awareness that we're even feeling any kind of discomfort. Without getting too technical, cognitive dissonance can be a symptom of incongruence. Another way I can put it is that both cognitive dissonance and incongruence have to do with self-trust, while congruence/incongruence also includes relational trust. The social aspect is defined in the sense that there are times when being incongruent is appropriate (think customer service or feeling the urge to laugh at a funeral), but for the most part, cognitive dissonance is maladaptive on its own.
I hope that answers your question! Feel free to ask any clarifications!