The conflict selected for discussion is an ethnic conflict between the Israeli and Palestinians. This is a large scale conflict which stems from the ethnic identity issues. It is perpetuated by cognitive dissonance. To understand how cognitive dissonance makes it worse, let us focus first on the meaning of the latter. Cognitive dissonance theory revolves around understanding that people generally do not like to be in the states of dissonant cognitions or conflicting thoughts. Their desire to have consonant cognitions is believed to be as strong as their basic needs, hence cognitive dissonances play an aggravating (or lessening) role in conflicts. In the conflict between the Israeli and Palestinians, cognitive dissonance theory helps to understand why the conflict cannot be resolved.

In particular, in Israel it is the image of Palestinians as inhuman permits for actions that otherwise would not be perpetuated. This cognitive dissonance also keeps people blind as they continue to neglect any new information that appears on the issue which may paint the Palestinians in some favorable light. As the Israeli deliberately avoid accepting any information which would portray the Palestinian in a positive context, these negative cognitions continue to reinforce and contradictory thoughts are avoided and further ignored. The use of cognitive dissonance theory, through emphasis on the Palestinians’ human nature and the contradiction between religion and military actions, a reaction is forced, and the Israeli may start changing their views. This part will readjust their thoughts and the conflict will reduce or eliminate.

As for the confirmation bias, it, too, perpetuates conflicts and keeps them from being resolved. This refers to the situation when people’s search for truth is limited only by the convenient, i.e. biased evidence, which will only confirm that we are right. This may be any everyday conflict in a family, for example, one resulting from parents’ ban on playing video games. Confirmation bias makes the parents see the other person in a conflict as automatically wrong. Overcoming the confirmation bias through careful listening and search of unbiased evidence may help avoid or reduce conflict as the parents may stop being assertive or intimidating once he or she is equipped with new information from scholarly studies that only certain types of video games are harmful (violent, sex-ridden, etc) while others, if played for a reasonable time period during a day, may even be beneficial for a child’s cognitive development.

In summary, these two examples of conflicts have been used to show how cognitive dissonance and confirmation bias can help overcome a conflicting situation and help eliminate or reduce the conflict.