Gary's mother tells him that he must complete his homework before he goes out to play.Gary does not like to disobey his mother but he really wants to go out and play.He convinces himself that his mother has been mean to him lately so he can disobey her just this one time without feeling guilty.Gary is trying to change his attitude to fit his behavior most likely to reduce the _____ he is experiencing.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Gary is experiencing cognitive dissonance, which occurs when there is a conflict between our attitudes and our behavior. In this case, Gary's attitude is to obey his mother, but his behavior is to disobey her. To reduce this discomfort, he is changing his attitude (perceiving his mother as mean) to fit his behavior (disobeying her).

Gary's Mother Tells Him That He Must Complete His Homework