The social and psychological response of Russian people to new changes in a pension reform

Pension-reform processes are the relevant issue for economists, lawyers, political scientists, and representatives of authorities and local government. At the same time, the researchers have not discussed the fact that the cognitive dissonance associated with the new changes in pension reform stirs up public opinion. The theory of cognitive dissonance makes it possible to re-evaluate the social and psychological processes caused by a new pension reform. The research examines the different views of experts and analysts on the increase in the retirement age, the effective social and psychological incentives, and the possible risks of later retirement. Based on the identification of the social and psychological aspects of Russians’ attitude to the retirement-age increase and confrontation of public opinion with managerial/administrative one, the author reveals the reasons behind the cognitive dissonance and the possible ways to reduce it and harmonize the social and psychological well-being of the population as a whole.