Question 1

Susan carefully rinses her mouth with an unpleasant-tasting mouthwash every day. One day, Susan reads an article reporting credible dental research that suggests that mouthwash is completely ineffective and that mouthwash may even be related to tooth decay. The discomfort that Susan experiences in response to this article is called __________.

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance refers to the discomfort that arises when a person's beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors are inconsistent with one another. In this case, Susan's belief that mouthwash is effective conflicts with the new information she has heard that suggests it may be harmful. This creates a sense of discomfort and inconsistency, which is known as cognitive dissonance.

Question 2

When people try to maintain their self-esteem and reduce cognitive dissonance, they may resort to maladaptive thinking known as __________.

Accepted Answer

When people try to maintain their self-esteem and reduce cognitive dissonance, they may engage in maladaptive thinking known as rationalizing. This involves justifying their behavior or beliefs in a way that reduces the psychological discomfort caused by contradictory information or experiences. It is a common defense mechanism that can lead to biases and distortions in thinking. Heuristics and schemas are cognitive frameworks that help individuals process information efficiently, while norms are social rules that guide behavior.

Question 3

Cognitive dissonance always __________.

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance refers to the mental discomfort or psychological stress experienced by a person who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, values, or ideas. The discomfort is caused by the inconsistency between these beliefs, which can result in a tension that the person seeks to resolve. In order to reduce the discomfort, individuals may engage in rationalizing or justifying their behavior, or they may change their behavior to be consistent with their beliefs. However, not all people necessarily change their behavior or produce new cognitions to resolve cognitive dissonance, so options A and D are not always true. Option C (the rationalization trap) is a common outcome of cognitive dissonance, but not the only one, so B is the best answer.

Question 4

Of the following people, which individual is most likely to reduce cognitive dissonance they might be feeling?

Accepted Answer

Moises is using cognitive dissonance reduction by convincing himself that the estimates of smoking causing cancer are exaggerated, therefore justifying his behavior of smoking. Jerry is denying his behavior which can lead to even more discomfort and guilt. Celso and Lu Chi are both avoiding the discomfort rather than addressing it directly.

Question 5

According to your text, how did gay men resolve their dissonance when two central aspects of their identities conflicted? As a reminder, these were gay men who strongly identified with their Christian churches and whose ministers made anti-gay pronouncements. If they decided to stay with their church, how did they respond?

Accepted Answer

The text states that gay men who strongly identified with their Christian churches and whose ministers made anti-gay pronouncements often blamed the minister for the conflict, but still chose to continue attending the same church. This suggests that they resolved their dissonance by compartmentalizing their identities and placing more importance on their religious identity than their sexual orientation. They did not necessarily stop attending church or donating to it. Option A and B are not mentioned in the text. Option D is possible, but not mentioned specifically in the text.

Question 6

In a study of adolescent smokers, it was found that greater dependence on smoking and more difficulty in quitting was correlated with a need to have __________.

Accepted Answer

Greater dependence on smoking and difficulty in quitting are often linked with the individual's need to have more justifications to keep smoking. This is because the more dependent someone is on smoking, the more they may feel the need to justify their behavior to themselves and others to continue smoking despite knowing its negative consequences.

Question 7

When our behavior conflicts with our attitudes, it can lead to __________.

Accepted Answer

When our behavior conflicts with our attitudes, it can lead to cognitive dissonance, which is when we experience mental discomfort or tension caused by holding two conflicting beliefs or values at the same time. This can be an unpleasant feeling, and we may attempt to resolve the dissonance by changing our attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors in order to reduce the inconsistency.

Question 8

Self-esteem refers to people's evaluations of their own __________.

Accepted Answer

Self-esteem refers to people's evaluations of their own self-worth, which encompasses their overall perceptions of their own value, competence, and adequacy as a person. While behavior, values, and intentions may influence self-esteem, they are not synonymous with it.

Question 9

According to the authors of your text, what is one of the most powerful determinants of human behavior?

Accepted Answer

The authors of the text state that our need to preserve a stable, positive self-image is one of the most powerful determinants of human behavior. This concept is supported by research in the field of social psychology, which suggests that people are motivated to maintain a positive view of themselves and will act in ways that support that self-image, even if it means disregarding evidence to the contrary or engaging in behaviors that are not objectively rational.

Question 10

You've recently learned that eating avocados, which you love, is bad for your health. To reduce the dissonance you experience after reading this news, you would most likely __________.

Accepted Answer

Questioning the validity of the research and the integrity of the scientists is a common way to reduce cognitive dissonance, which occurs when someone holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values. In this case, the love for avocados conflicts with the new information that they are bad for health, leading to dissonance. To reduce this discomfort, one might discredit the source of the conflicting information.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a typical way of reducing cognitive dissonance?

Accepted Answer

Forgetting about our past statements that contradict our behavior is not a typical way of reducing cognitive dissonance. The other three options (changing behavior, justifying behavior by changing/dismissing/addition of cognitions) are commonly used methods to reduce cognitive dissonance.

Question 12

When people's actions and beliefs challenge their self-worth, they experience a feeling known as __________.

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance occurs when there is a conflict between a person's actions and beliefs, leading to discomfort because it challenges their self-worth or self-image. This psychological phenomenon drives individuals to seek consistency between their beliefs and behaviors.

Question 13

Scott believes very strongly that saccharine is an unsafe sugar substitute that may even cause cancer. Even though Scott is diabetic, and thus should be using sugar substitutes, he often opts for sugar-laden foods and drinks to avoid saccharine. "I'll just exercise more later; the sugar isn't a big deal. I'm really being healthier by avoiding saccharine," he thinks to himself. Scott's behavior and thoughts are examples of __________ in the face of cognitive dissonance.

Accepted Answer

Scott's behavior and thoughts are examples of rationalizing, as he is justifying his use of sugar despite knowing it is not healthy, in order to avoid the cognitive dissonance caused by his belief that saccharine is unsafe.

Question 14

"There's no way I'd give up drinking! I'd just be stressed out all the time," says Lilly, as she sips her third martini of the evening. Lilly's comments about her drinking habit are an example of using __________ to reduce cognitive dissonance.

Accepted Answer

Lilly's comments about continuing to drink despite potential negative consequences is a form of justification, which is a common way of reducing cognitive dissonance - the discomfort that arises from holding conflicting beliefs or actions. Lilly may feel uneasy about her drinking, but by rationalizing it as necessary to avoid stress, she can feel more comfortable with her behavior. The other options (minimized shift, behavior change, cognitive change) do not accurately describe Lilly's statements.

Question 15

"Live fast and die young, that's what I always say," Rosie pronounces, as she stuffs down three more Ding-Dong snack cakes and opens another pint of high-fat ice cream. Rosie knows that her diet is unhealthy and harmful, of course. To reduce her dissonance, Rosie is __________.

Accepted Answer

Rosie is adding a cognition (i.e. "Live fast and die young") that is consonant with her problem behavior, rather than changing her behavior to bring it in line with her unhealthy diet or changing a cognition to make it more consonant with her behavior. This addition of a cognition allows Rosie to justify her unhealthy habits and reduce dissonance.

Question 16

Members of the Heaven's Gate cult, who "knew" there was a spaceship following the Hale-Bopp comet, returned a perfectly good telescope they had purchased because they failed to see the spaceship they "knew" was there. Such behaviors demonstrate that __________.

Accepted Answer

This behavior, where members of the cult justified their failure to see the spaceship they "knew" was there, demonstrates the human tendency to go to extreme lengths to justify their beliefs or actions, even in the face of contradictory evidence.

Question 17

Hai has been taking expensive beta-carotene supplements for years because he believes they will reduce his risk of cancer. Hai has just learned that a well-controlled study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine showed that beta-carotene supplements do not reduce cancer risk. Hai is probably experiencing __________.

Accepted Answer

Hai's belief in the cancer-preventing effects of beta-carotene supplements is inconsistent with the new information he has learned from the study. This creates a mental discomfort known as cognitive dissonance, which occurs when a person holds two conflicting beliefs or ideas.

Question 18

George thinks of himself as an honest person until his brother reminds him that he's been known to keep extra change given to him by a cashier and to stock his home office for a sideline business with supplies taken from his job. George is now probably feeling a sense of discomfort known as __________.

Accepted Answer

George is experiencing cognitive dissonance, which is the discomfort felt when there is a discrepancy between one's behavior and beliefs. In this case, George believes himself to be honest, but his actions of keeping extra change and taking supplies from work conflict with that belief.

Question 19

A tobacco grower says, "I'm not the only one growing it. If I stop, someone else will be there." Assuming that the man was experiencing dissonance from the fact that he was making his living from a crop that is bad for people's health, he appears to be reducing this dissonance by __________.

Accepted Answer

He is adding new cognitions (justifications) to reduce the dissonance between his actions and the knowledge of tobacco's harmful effects, without changing his behavior or beliefs about tobacco.

Question 20

Which psychologist developed the theory of cognitive dissonance?

Accepted Answer

The theory of cognitive dissonance was developed by psychologist Leon Festinger in the 1950s.

Quiz 6: Cognitive Dissonance and the Need to Protect Our Self-Esteem