Abstract

Cognitive dissonance (Festinger, 1957) consists in inconsistencies among cognitions that generate an uncomfortable motivating state. This construct aroused researchers’ curiosity for the past fifty years and, recently, the interest in its neural substrates has increased. This review aims to investigate this recent approach to the subject. After a first part in which the origins and the features of Festinger’s theory are recalled, we focused on scientific literature exploring the neural basis of cognitive dissonance’s occurrence and its resolution. The review ends by discussing some theoretical and methodological implications related to cognitive dissonance’s empirical investigation and possible solutions.