Today, the concept of change has gained significant importance. It appears in habits, relationships, plans for personal development, and many other areas. A person with a high level of awareness tries to adapt change to their life. For individuals with low awareness, the importance of change is usually emphasized through statements from their environment. But is change really possible? While change is possible, it is often not desirable. Because change brings with it a lot of hardship. Furthermore, change does not always lead in a positive direction. Sometimes it can mean resorting to defense mechanisms developed to cope with internal conflict or anxiety.
What Is The Effect Of Self-Perception On Change?
One of the most important reasons people find it difficult to change is the sense of self they develop over time. Self is the sum of everything that makes us who we are. For example, traits, beliefs, abilities, and values provide information about a person’s identity. Feedback from parents and teachers during childhood forms the initial foundations of self-perception. Although the self continues to take shape throughout life, the pace slows down after adolescence. Furthermore, the self is not entirely at the conscious level. Internal characteristics influence behavior even if they are not directly recognized, and our behavior is consistent with our self. Over time, this process creates a self-validating cycle. The existing self is protected because the mind does not want to experience conflict. People may sometimes even tend to protect negative self-perceptions. Therefore, change means not only behavioral change but also the restructuring of self-perception. Identity is an important need for humans. When inconsistencies arise in identity, individuals may feel shaken in their selfhood; this increases feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, and loss of control.
How Does Change Cause Cognitive Dissonance?
One of the important psychological reasons why people resist change is the mechanism of cognitive dissonance. Uncertainty and inconsistency threaten the balance between people’s thoughts and behaviors. When a conflict arises between these elements, the individual feels psychological discomfort. According to Festinger, there are three basic ways to reduce this dissonance. Rationalizing behavior is the most common way. The person tries to come up with logical explanations for their behavior. For example, they may continue to eat unhealthily by thinking, “Everyone eats unhealthily anyway.” Another way is to change one’s beliefs. A new thought replaces the defended thought. Thus, the conflict is again reduced. If the person diminishes the importance of health in their mind, unhealthy eating does not create a dissonance for them. The third way is the most difficult: changing behavior. This is because changing behavior requires a lot of effort. It requires new behaviors and repetition. Since establishing new habits can be challenging for the individual, they may prefer to come up with explanations that require less effort. Furthermore, changing behavior is a long process. People often tend to choose the path that reduces discomfort in the short term. Therefore, cognitive dissonance plays an important role in people’s resistance to change.
Why Do Behaviors Become Automatic?
Habits greatly affect our daily lives, even if we don’t notice them. Most behaviors are governed by habits. The same behaviors are repeated and become automatic. This is how habits are formed. The brain automates behaviors to save energy. If every behavior were conscious, the human brain would be overloaded, which would lead to problems. The habit loop considers this process as a trigger, routine, and reward. The trigger is a signal that initiates the behavior. This signal can be an internal trigger such as distress, anxiety, loneliness, or an external trigger such as a phone notification, a person, or a place. The routine is the behavior that becomes automatic after the trigger. The person often feels like they have “chosen” to do it, but the behavior is actually semi-automatic. For example, responding in the same way during an argument or scrolling through social media may be routine behaviors. The reward reinforces the behavior. The reward does not always have to be happiness; the most common reward is a reduction in discomfort. The relief that comes from a behavior performed to gain a sense of control can be a reward for the individual. If a behavior reduces anxiety, the brain quickly labels it as “useful.” This is why habits like avoidance, procrastination, and screen escape are so persistent. As long as the cycle continues, sensitivity to the trigger increases, and the behavior becomes even more automatic. This further strengthens the cycle.
How Is Change Possible?
Change rarely occurs as a result of a single decision; rather, it is the product of a psychological and behavioral process that develops over time. Awareness is essential for the change process to begin. As individuals gain insight, they recognize the reasons behind their automatic behaviors. When they can identify the underlying beliefs and defenses behind their behavior, they can take steps toward change. These steps should be small and repeated rather than large and sudden. This is because small behaviors create less cognitive load, and repeated behaviors can become new habits over time. Furthermore, organizing environmental cues can facilitate change. The influence of environmental factors is reduced. One of the prominent approaches in the behavioral change literature in recent years is the identity-based change perspective. Aligning behavior with one’s identity can facilitate lasting change. Therefore, change is not solely a matter of willpower; it is a process made possible by the individual’s restructuring of their behaviors, thoughts, and habits.