Cognitive Polyphasia and Cognitive Dissonance: An Integrative Model for Understanding Inconsistency Management Within Social Representations Theory

The aim of this study was to explore the interrelationship between cognitivepolyphasia and cognitive dissonance in the management of contradictions. We arguethat both concepts maintain a circular relationship. To support this position, weestablish a theoretical path structured around four core axes: 1) the recognition thatFestinger and his followers already considered dissonance management mechanismsthat, much like cognitive polyphasia, maintain inconsistency; 2) from a diachronicperspective, dissonance can stem from cognitive polyphasia; 3) from a synchronicperspective, the varieties of cognitive polyphasia can be systematized within thefunctional approach to cognitive dissonance; 4) this systematization raises questionsregarding the self and identity, bringing Social Representations Theory closer tocontemporary models of the self. Throughout this path, we outline an integrativemodel for the study of inconsistency management, offering brief considerations on thechallenges that future research must overcome.