What is a consequence of cognitive dissonance?

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Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person experiences discomfort due to holding conflicting beliefs, attitudes, or values, especially after making a decision or taking action that contradicts one of those beliefs. This psychological conflict creates an urge to alleviate the discomfort. One common way individuals resolve this tension is by changing their attitudes or beliefs to restore consistency between their thoughts and behaviors.

For instance, if someone who values health chooses to indulge in junk food, they may feel dissonance due to this contradiction. To reconcile this dissonance, they might downplay the health risks of junk food or emphasize how infrequently they indulge to align their actions with their health values.

This resolution often leads to a change in attitudes or beliefs as individuals strive to maintain a harmonious sense of self, reflecting the inherent human desire for cognitive consistency. Thus, this process plays a critical role in shaping personal beliefs and behaviors as individuals adjust their mindset to reduce dissonance.