Final answer:
Palliative comparison refers to the cognitive technique where an individual compares their situation to those who are worse off in order to reduce the discomfort of cognitive dissonance. It serves as emotional coping rather than addressing the root cause of the problem.
Step-by-step explanation:
Palliative comparison is a cognitive disengagement technique used as a means of reducing psychological discomfort known as cognitive dissonance. This discomfort arises when there is a conflict among a person's behaviors, attitudes, or beliefs that contradicts one's self-perception. To alleviate the discomfort, an individual may engage in palliative comparison, which involves comparing oneself favorably to others who are worse off to feel better about one's own situation. This is a form of emotion-focused coping that aims to change or reduce the negative emotions associated with stress.
This technique does not address the actual problem or the source of dissonance but instead focuses on easing the emotional impact by providing a temporary sense of relief or cognitive ease. For example, if a student is worried about their poor academic performance, they might think about someone who is doing even worse to feel better about their own situation.
Other ways to reduce cognitive dissonance include changing discrepant behaviors, rationalization or denial, and adding new cognitions that allow for a more harmonious alignment of attitudes and behaviors.