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

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The leader's assertion that their prayers saved the world goes against the fact that the world did not end. This creates a state of cognitive dissonance, which is the discomfort one feels when holding two contradictory beliefs or attitudes. The leader then changes their attitude to reduce the dissonance, by asserting that their prayers had a positive impact, even though the expected outcome did not occur.

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