Perceptions of Migrants Through the Lens of Cognitive Dissonance Theory: Results of a Quasi-Experiment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2025.4.2916Keywords:
cognitive turn, cognitive sociology, collective representations, attitudes to migrants, cognitive dissonance reduction, cognitive schemaAbstract
The article attempts to reconstruct the diversity of tactics used by people to reduce emotional tension in situations where cognitive dissonance may arise during discussions of issues related to migrants and migration. The research is based on the qualitative data collected via a series of in-depth interviews (N = 21) in Moscow, Chelyabinsk, and Kazan. The interviews included a quasi-experimental section in which the interviewer attempted to induce cognitive dissonance in informants, who then attempted to reduce it in various ways.
The analysis of the data has shown that there are three main ways that the informants were drawn to. In the case of the first one ― the search for additional consonant information ― people tend to seek additional, never-mentioned conditions that would make the dissonant case possible without any radical changes to their expressed point of view. In the second case, trivialization of either their own opinion (through the emphasis on the lack of expertise) or the dissonant case (through the emphasis on its exclusivity) happens. Lastly, some people tended to avoid or distract themselves from the dissonant information altogether by changing the topic. In general, however, the ways that people tend to reduce cognitive dissonance are rather inconsistent and situational, which may be explained by the inconsistency and situational nature of the views that are expressed in conversation.
The results are interpreted as elements of cognitive and cultural schemas that people might have in relation to migration, and are indicative of the topic not being deeply reflected upon or internalized by the informants. The results also indicate that, to the extent that the issues of migration, migrants and their presence in Russia are not personal, the opinions on the subject remain quite discursive in nature.
Acknowledgements. The article was written on the basis of the RANEPA state assignment research programme. No funding for the research is provided by the HSE University. The author is grateful to Evgeni A. Varshaver and Nataliya S. Ivanova for their help in preparation of the field research stage, as well as the analysis of the data.
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