The World-Will-End-on-June-7 group got together on June 7 to pray as the world ended. The next day the world did not end. The leader of the group said, "Our prayers saved the world." What process was responsible for the attitude change?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of cognitive dissonance, where the leader's attitude and belief system did not match the reality of the situation. In order to reduce the discomfort of this inconsistency, the leader changed their attitude and attributed the lack of the world ending to their group's prayers, rather than admitting that their prediction was incorrect.

The World-Will-End-On-June-7 Group Got Together on June 7 to Pray