Editing Cognitive dissonance (section)

=== Visualization ===
The study ''Neural Activity Predicts Attitude Change in Cognitive Dissonance''<ref name=vanVeenKrug2009>{{cite journal | vauthors = van Veen V, Krug MK, Schooler JW, Carter CS | title = Neural activity predicts attitude change in cognitive dissonance | journal = Nature Neuroscience | volume = 12 | issue = 11 | pages = 1469–1474 | date = November 2009 | pmid = 19759538 | doi = 10.1038/nn.2413 | s2cid = 1753122 }}</ref> (Van Veen, Krug, etc., 2009) identified the neural bases of cognitive dissonance with [[functional magnetic resonance imaging]] (fMRI); the neural scans of the participants replicated the basic findings of the induced-compliance paradigm. When in the fMRI scanner, some of the study participants argued that the uncomfortable, mechanical environment of the MRI machine nevertheless was a pleasant experience for them; some participants, from an experimental group, said they enjoyed the mechanical environment of the fMRI scanner more than did the control-group participants (paid actors) who argued about the uncomfortable experimental environment.<ref name=vanVeenKrug2009/>

The results of the neural scan experiment support the original theory of Cognitive Dissonance proposed by Festinger in 1957; and also support the psychological conflict theory, whereby the anterior cingulate functions, in counter-attitudinal response, to activate the dorsal [[anterior cingulate cortex]] and the anterior [[insular cortex]]; the degree of activation of said regions of the brain is predicted by the degree of change in the psychological attitude of the person.<ref name=vanVeenKrug2009/>
[[File:MRI anterior cingulate.png|thumb|right|400px|The biomechanics of cognitive dissonance: MRI evidence indicates that the greater the psychological conflict signalled by the [[anterior cingulate cortex]], the greater the magnitude of the cognitive dissonance experienced by the person.]]

As an application of the free-choice paradigm, the study ''How Choice Reveals and Shapes Expected Hedonic Outcome'' (2009) indicates that after making a choice, neural activity in the [[striatum]] changes to reflect the person's new evaluation of the choice-object; neural activity increased if the object was chosen, neural activity decreased if the object was rejected.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Sharot T, De Martino B, Dolan RJ | title = How choice reveals and shapes expected hedonic outcome | journal = The Journal of Neuroscience | volume = 29 | issue = 12 | pages = 3760–3765 | date = March 2009 | pmid = 19321772 | pmc = 2675705 | doi = 10.1523/jneurosci.4972-08.2009 | url = http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/~tsharot/Sharot_JofN_2009.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110617053852/http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/~tsharot/Sharot_JofN_2009.pdf | archive-date = 2011-06-17 }}</ref> Moreover, studies such as ''The Neural Basis of Rationalization: Cognitive Dissonance Reduction During Decision-making'' (2010)<ref name=JarchoEtAl_NeuralBasisRationalization>{{cite journal | vauthors = Jarcho JM, Berkman ET, Lieberman MD | title = The neural basis of rationalization: cognitive dissonance reduction during decision-making | journal = Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience | volume = 6 | issue = 4 | pages = 460–467 | date = September 2011 | pmid = 20621961 | pmc = 3150852 | doi = 10.1093/scan/nsq054 }}</ref> and ''How Choice Modifies Preference: Neural Correlates of Choice Justification'' (2011) confirm the neural bases of the psychology of cognitive dissonance.<ref name="Izuma et al."/><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Qin J, Kimel S, Kitayama S, Wang X, Yang X, Han S | title = How choice modifies preference: neural correlates of choice justification | journal = NeuroImage | volume = 55 | issue = 1 | pages = 240–246 | date = March 2011 | pmid = 21130888 | doi = 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.11.076 | s2cid = 9700855 }}</ref>

''The Neural Basis of Rationalization: Cognitive Dissonance Reduction During Decision-making''<ref name=JarchoEtAl_NeuralBasisRationalization/> (Jarcho, Berkman, Lieberman, 2010) applied the free-choice paradigm to fMRI examination of the brain's decision-making process whilst the study participant actively tried to reduce cognitive dissonance. The results indicated that the active reduction of psychological dissonance increased neural activity in the right-[[inferior frontal gyrus]], in the medial fronto-parietal region, and in the [[ventral striatum]], and that neural activity decreased in the [[anterior insula]].<ref name=JarchoEtAl_NeuralBasisRationalization /> That the neural activities of [[rationalization (psychology)|rationalization]] occur in seconds, without conscious deliberation on the part of the person; and that the brain engages in emotional responses whilst effecting decisions.<ref name=JarchoEtAl_NeuralBasisRationalization />