Cognitive dissonance is an unpleasant feeling that motivates us to change. True False
The correct answer and explanation is:
Answer: True
Cognitive dissonance is indeed an unpleasant psychological feeling that occurs when a person holds two or more conflicting beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors at the same time. This discomfort motivates individuals to reduce the inconsistency between their beliefs and actions, which can lead to changes in their attitudes, behaviors, or perceptions to restore psychological harmony.
The concept of cognitive dissonance was first introduced by psychologist Leon Festinger in 1957. According to Festinger, when people experience dissonance, they feel compelled to alleviate the discomfort. For example, if someone smokes but believes smoking is harmful to health, the inconsistency between the behavior (smoking) and the belief (smoking is harmful) creates dissonance. To resolve the dissonance, the person might change their behavior (quit smoking), change their belief (convince themselves that smoking isn’t as harmful as it seems), or rationalize the behavior (believe that everyone is going to die someday anyway, so smoking doesn’t matter).
The discomfort that comes with cognitive dissonance can be powerful. It often drives individuals to change their beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors in an attempt to reach a state of consonance. This change can be intentional, like consciously deciding to quit smoking, or it can happen unconsciously, like minimizing the risks associated with smoking.
One of the key aspects of cognitive dissonance theory is that people are motivated to avoid or reduce dissonance whenever possible. This can lead to rationalizations, self-justifications, or selective exposure to information that aligns with their current beliefs, allowing them to maintain a consistent self-image. However, the need to resolve dissonance doesn’t always lead to logical decisions, as individuals may distort reality to make the discomfort disappear.