"Mariner Books." Revised edition of the authors' Mistakes were made (but not by me), 2007. Includes a new preface and conclusion, with updated research and examples. Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents:
Cognitive dissonance : the engine of self-justification -- Pride and prejudice ... and other blind spots -- Memory, the self-justifying historian -- Good intentions, bad science : the closed loop of clinical judgment -- Law and disorder -- Love's assassin : self-justification in marriage -- Wounds, rifts, and wars -- Letting go and owning up.
Summary:
Social psychologists Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson take a look into how the brain is wired for self-justification. When we make mistakes, we must calm the cognitive dissonance that jars our feelings of self-worth. We create fictions that absolve us of responsibility, restoring our belief that we are smart, moral, and right-- a belief that often keeps us on a course that is dumb, immoral, and wrong. Backed by years of research, this study offers an explanation of self-deception-- how it works, the harm it can cause, and how we can overcome it.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.