Essay Undergraduate 1,404 words

Cognitive Dissonance and Social Priming After the 2020 Election

~8 min read 6 sections Psychology

Abstract

This paper examines two social psychology concepts — cognitive dissonance and social priming — as they were reflected in news coverage following the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Drawing on academic definitions and media headlines from November 2020, the paper explains how losing voters experienced profound cognitive dissonance when confronted with election results that contradicted their deeply held beliefs. It further analyzes how President Trump's repeated claims of a "rigged election" functioned as social priming, reinforcing alternative narratives among his supporters. The paper concludes that both concepts are vividly illustrated by post-election events and will likely become canonical examples in future social psychology literature.

Key Takeaways

Introduction: Context for applying two social psychology concepts
Cognitive Dissonance: Definition and Background: Defining cognitive dissonance and its role in political behavior
How Cognitive Dissonance Appeared in Post-Election Media: Media headlines illustrating post-election cognitive dissonance
Social Priming: Definition and Background: Defining social priming and its electoral applications
How Social Priming Appeared in Post-Election Media: News coverage reflecting Trump's social priming campaign
Conclusion: Both concepts illuminate post-election American politics

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What makes this paper effective

Grounds abstract psychological concepts in specific, timely real-world events, making the theory immediately accessible and relevant.
Uses actual media headlines as evidence, demonstrating how to incorporate contemporary sources alongside peer-reviewed academic citations.
Maintains a clear parallel structure: each concept receives a definition section followed by a media-demonstration section, making the argument easy to follow.

Key academic technique demonstrated

The paper demonstrates concept application — taking established psychological constructs (cognitive dissonance and social priming) from the academic literature and systematically mapping them onto observable current events. This technique shows examiners that a student can bridge theory and practice, citing scholars such as Aronson et al. (2019) and Bølstad et al. (2013) while anchoring claims in verifiable news coverage.

Structure breakdown

The paper opens with a brief contextual introduction identifying the two target concepts. It then treats each concept in two paired subsections — definition/background followed by media evidence — before closing with a short synthesis conclusion. This symmetrical structure is well-suited to comparative concept-application assignments and ensures equal analytical attention to both constructs.

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Essay 1,404 words

Introduction

Today, the world in general and the United States in particular face multiple crises confronting political leaders and citizens at every level — most especially the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a weakened national economy, racial unrest, and increasing polarization of the American electorate following the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. This dramatic polarization has been more severe than at any time in the nation's history, with the possible exception of the Civil War, and it continued even after election results were called by the mainstream media.

This situation is due in large part to the cognitive dissonance that losing voters experienced and the manner in which voters were socially primed for this historic electoral confrontation. The purpose of this paper is to define and describe how these two social psychology concepts have been reflected in the news, followed by a summary of key findings in the conclusion.

5 Sections Hidden · 935 words

Cognitive Dissonance: Definition and Background230 words

In general, cognitive dissonance occurs when people are confronted with events that challenge their long-held beliefs and views about the world around them. In many cases, people simply ignore or discount anomalous events as…

How Cognitive Dissonance Appeared in Post-Election Media290 words

Despite overwhelmingly compelling evidence to the contrary, tens of thousands of Americans took to the streets across the nation to protest the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, unable or unwilling to accept the results and preferring…

Social Priming: Definition and Background150 words

Social priming describes the process whereby the subconscious and subsequent behaviors can be heavily influenced by otherwise subtle messages (Aronson et al., 2019). In the past, this concept was largely subsumed within various types…

How Social Priming Appeared in Post-Election Media145 words

Despite the overtly brazen quality of the president's false assertions about his election loss, his supporters clung to any thread of hope that their candidate had actually won — because he had said he would win, and no other outcome seemed conceivable to them. The effects of this social priming campaign can be readily identified…

Conclusion120 words

Social psychologists have their hands full trying to make sense of the political upheaval that roiled the nation following the 2020 election, but the research is consistent in showing that both cognitive dissonance and social priming played important roles in pre- and post-election events. Americans clashed in the streets because Trump supporters could not believe…

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References

Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., & Sommers, S. R. (2019). Social psychology (10th ed.). Pearson.

Bølstad, J. et al. (2013). Tactical voting and party preferences: A test of cognitive dissonance theory. Political Behavior, 35, 429–452.

McGregor, R. M. (2013, June). Cognitive dissonance and political attitudes: The case of Canada. The Social Science Journal, 50(2), 168–176.

Smith, D. (2020, November 14). Driving Mr. Donald: White House excursion reveals a president pushing up daisies. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/14/donald-trump-motorcade-washington-march-protest-golf

Key Concepts in This Paper

Cognitive Dissonance Social Priming Political Polarization Self-Image Defense Voter Psychology Media Framing Electoral Behavior Subliminal Messaging Belief Perseverance Post-Election Protests