It is impossible to review all of the literature regarding CDT because it is one of the most widely researched theories in social psychology. The author has tried to pick the research relevant to the task at hand, which is to show the dynamics of CDT in advertising message development, and also to portray an accurate overview of the history and contributions of this versatile theory.

The Big Bang of 1957

When CDT debuted in the seminal work by Festinger (1957) titled, "A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance," it was instantly embraced by social scientists and almost overnight usurped reinforcement theory as the conceptual framework for analyzing human motivation and behavior (source 1).

Festinger stated that depending on the magnitude of the dissonance, it can be a very painful psychological experience. As a result of this mental pain, an individual becomes motivated to reduce this discomfort or dissonance state. Many techniques are available to the individual to do so. The individual may either acquire new information to refute the piece of information that is causing the dissonance, or by avoidance of the information that reinforces the dissonance, or by rationalizing away the dissonance or by changing behavior to eliminate the conflict altogether.

Festinger states that cognitive dissonance has several sources. They are as follows:

1. Logical inconsistency: Person A believes one day man will go to moon. A also believes that such a device needed to carry man to moon could never be built.
2. Cultural mores inconsistency. Person A picks up food with hands at a formal dinner party with the understanding that this is not socially acceptable, while in some cultures this may not seem odd.
3. Specific opinions in general opinions inconsistency. A Democratic voter may prefer a Republican candidate in a certain election.
4. Past experience inconsistency. One is used to feeling wet in a rain shower and one day does not feel wet while standing out in the rain.

Festinger also points out that the ability to tolerate cognitive dissonance is a highly individualized function related to personality and self-perception and that CDT was not meant to be the definitative theory of human motivation (source 9).

One of the first experiments Festinger (Festinger and Carlsmith, 1959) conducted to test his new theory was the prediction that the less money someone receives for convincing someone that a boring task is enjoyable, the more positive one's attitude toward the boring task will become (source 11).