Cognitive dissonance in social work - the experiences of social workers who facilitate transracial adoption plans for aboriginal children

This research study explores the idea of cognitive dissonance in social work, where cognitive dissonance is defined as a state of tension that occurs when a person holds two cognitions (ideas, attitudes, beliefs, behaviours) that are psychologically inconsistent with one another (Tavris & Aronson, 2007). Twenty-one social workers who have worked on teams that facilitate transracial adoption plans for Aboriginal children were interviewed regarding their experiences. Three key questions were explored: 1. Do social workers who facilitate transracial adoption plans for Aboriginal children experience cognitive dissonance and, if so, in what ways? 2. How does that cognitive dissonance impact social workers? 3. In what ways do social workers reconcile a sense of dissonance? The findings from this study suggest that social workers do experience cognitive dissonance, that they are impacted in primarily adverse ways, and that they cognitively reconcile the dissonance to decrease their discomfort/tension. These findings are used to provide suggestions on ways that social workers can reduce dissonance as well as ideas for future research and recommendations for practice. --Leaf i.