When no weapons of mass destruction were found following the U.S.invasion of Iraq,some Americans revised their memories of the main rationale for going to war.The text author suggests that we can best explain why people changed their memories in terms of

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that individuals have a natural inclination to seek consistency between their beliefs and their actions. In the case of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, many individuals had believed in the existence of weapons of mass destruction and supported the war effort. However, when no such weapons were found, it created cognitive dissonance - a conflict between their previous beliefs and the new evidence. In order to reduce this discomfort and maintain consistency, individuals may revise their memories or beliefs to align with the new evidence.

When No Weapons of Mass Destruction Were Found Following the U.S.invasion