Eu-China Relations: Exploring the Possibility of Cognitive Dissonance
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2023 |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | eng |
Título da fonte: | Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
Texto Completo: | http://hdl.handle.net/11144/6619 |
Resumo: | This paper takes stock of the idea of cognitive dissonance as a possible attribute of the current EU-China relations state of affairs. It goes far beyond the simplistic approach to the term that became quite frequent in politicians and analysts’ discourses, because delving into the theory pioneered by the psychologist Leon Festinger in the late 50s, which, in brief terms, assumes that in a psychologically unpleasant situation characterised by conflicting beliefs, opinions, feelings, behaviors, or attitudes, there is a tendency to attempt to reduce dissonance and avoid information likely to increase conflict. Under this theoretical framework, the article explores the tensions, contradictions and dilemmas that are shaping EU-China relations in a complex, fast-changing, geopolitical and geostrategic context. Accordingly, it takes advantage of insights provided by the theory of cognitive dissonance to frame a discussion on dependencies and interests, as well as efforts to keep up appearances and manageable balances within conflict, which, arguably, can configure a dissonance-reducing intent. The paper, though, concludes that this intent is bearing on a hedging strategy, rather than on changes in behavior, values and beliefs, or environmental conditions, as advocated by Festinger’s theory |
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Eu-China Relations: Exploring the Possibility of Cognitive DissonanceCognitive DissonanceSystemic RivalryContradictionDilemmasChinaEuropean UnionThis paper takes stock of the idea of cognitive dissonance as a possible attribute of the current EU-China relations state of affairs. It goes far beyond the simplistic approach to the term that became quite frequent in politicians and analysts’ discourses, because delving into the theory pioneered by the psychologist Leon Festinger in the late 50s, which, in brief terms, assumes that in a psychologically unpleasant situation characterised by conflicting beliefs, opinions, feelings, behaviors, or attitudes, there is a tendency to attempt to reduce dissonance and avoid information likely to increase conflict. Under this theoretical framework, the article explores the tensions, contradictions and dilemmas that are shaping EU-China relations in a complex, fast-changing, geopolitical and geostrategic context. Accordingly, it takes advantage of insights provided by the theory of cognitive dissonance to frame a discussion on dependencies and interests, as well as efforts to keep up appearances and manageable balances within conflict, which, arguably, can configure a dissonance-reducing intent. The paper, though, concludes that this intent is bearing on a hedging strategy, rather than on changes in behavior, values and beliefs, or environmental conditions, as advocated by Festinger’s theoryOBSERVARE. Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa2023-10-02T15:11:35Z2023-09-01T00:00:00Z2023-09info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdftext/htmlhttp://hdl.handle.net/11144/6619eng1647-7251https://doi.org/10.26619/1647-7251.DT0123.2Rodrigues, Carlosinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2024-01-11T02:14:05Zoai:repositorio.ual.pt:11144/6619Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-20T01:32:44.704688Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
Eu-China Relations: Exploring the Possibility of Cognitive Dissonance |
title |
Eu-China Relations: Exploring the Possibility of Cognitive Dissonance |
spellingShingle |
Eu-China Relations: Exploring the Possibility of Cognitive Dissonance Rodrigues, Carlos Cognitive Dissonance Systemic Rivalry Contradiction Dilemmas China European Union |
title_short |
Eu-China Relations: Exploring the Possibility of Cognitive Dissonance |
title_full |
Eu-China Relations: Exploring the Possibility of Cognitive Dissonance |
title_fullStr |
Eu-China Relations: Exploring the Possibility of Cognitive Dissonance |
title_full_unstemmed |
Eu-China Relations: Exploring the Possibility of Cognitive Dissonance |
title_sort |
Eu-China Relations: Exploring the Possibility of Cognitive Dissonance |
author |
Rodrigues, Carlos |
author_facet |
Rodrigues, Carlos |
author_role |
author |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Rodrigues, Carlos |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
Cognitive Dissonance Systemic Rivalry Contradiction Dilemmas China European Union |
topic |
Cognitive Dissonance Systemic Rivalry Contradiction Dilemmas China European Union |
description |
This paper takes stock of the idea of cognitive dissonance as a possible attribute of the current EU-China relations state of affairs. It goes far beyond the simplistic approach to the term that became quite frequent in politicians and analysts’ discourses, because delving into the theory pioneered by the psychologist Leon Festinger in the late 50s, which, in brief terms, assumes that in a psychologically unpleasant situation characterised by conflicting beliefs, opinions, feelings, behaviors, or attitudes, there is a tendency to attempt to reduce dissonance and avoid information likely to increase conflict. Under this theoretical framework, the article explores the tensions, contradictions and dilemmas that are shaping EU-China relations in a complex, fast-changing, geopolitical and geostrategic context. Accordingly, it takes advantage of insights provided by the theory of cognitive dissonance to frame a discussion on dependencies and interests, as well as efforts to keep up appearances and manageable balances within conflict, which, arguably, can configure a dissonance-reducing intent. The paper, though, concludes that this intent is bearing on a hedging strategy, rather than on changes in behavior, values and beliefs, or environmental conditions, as advocated by Festinger’s theory |
publishDate |
2023 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2023-10-02T15:11:35Z 2023-09-01T00:00:00Z 2023-09 |
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
http://hdl.handle.net/11144/6619 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11144/6619 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
eng |
language |
eng |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
1647-7251 https://doi.org/10.26619/1647-7251.DT0123.2 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
application/pdf text/html |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
OBSERVARE. Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
OBSERVARE. Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação instacron:RCAAP |
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Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
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RCAAP |
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RCAAP |
reponame_str |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
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Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
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Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
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1799136807016726528 |