Cognitive Dissonance and the Role of Self in High Altitude Mountaineering: An Analysis of Six Published Autobiographies

Abstract

Drawing on six published autobiographies of high altitude mountaineers, this paper explores the construction of self in relation to their experiences of cognitive dissonance. Three themes emerged from the analysis: (a) experiences with psychological discomfort are inextricably connected to the self; (b) the presence of a cognitive inconsistency of sufficient magnitude evokes a portrayal of self as decent but afflicted; and (c) reducing inconsistencies between cognitions involves a process of retrospective self-justification motivated by the need for self-cohesion.