Fernando's favorable attitude toward capital punishment began to change when he was asked to offer arguments opposing it in a university debate class. His attitude change is best explained by ________ theory.

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Fernando's change of attitude can be explained by cognitive dissonance theory, which suggests that people feel psychological discomfort when they hold conflicting attitudes or beliefs. In this case, Fernando had a favorable attitude towards capital punishment, but was asked to argue against it, which created dissonance. To reduce this discomfort, he may have shifted his attitude towards opposing capital punishment.

Fernando's Favorable Attitude Toward Capital Punishment Began to Change When