Here are academic theories about how we handle discomfort.
- Cognitive Dissonance: we try to reduce the discomfort of dissonance.
- Actor-Observer Difference: others' behavior caused by disposition, ours by situation.
- Confirmation Bias: we seek confirmation that we made a good decision.
- Escape Theory: We seek to escape uncomfortable realities.
- Hindsight Bias: we pretend we knew everything all along.
- Insufficient Punishment: we devalue forbidden activity to reduce dissonance.
- Informational Social Influence: when we are uncertain we copy others.
- Ironic Reversal: we cannot avoid thinking about things we want to avoid thinking about.
- Minimal Justification Principle: we justify what can't be explained rationally.
- Overjustification Effect: we attribute too externally for some events.
- Positivity Effect: we attribute disposition to good things about ourselves.
- Post-Decision Dissonance: after a decision we think it was a good one.
- Prospect Theory: we value certain gains and try to avoid certain losses.
- Regret Theory: we consider and try to avoid future regret.
- Risk Preference: we seek risks around losses and avoid risks around gains.
- Selective Exposure: we avoid what will cause dissonance about a decision.
- Self-Discrepancy Theory: we need beliefs to be consistent.
- Self-Serving Bias: we take credit for success and deny failure.
- Social-Role Theory: men and women fall into expected roles.
