As part of an experiment, a person is asked to write an essay advocating an opinion that is opposite to her own. She is given no financial incentive to do this and after completing the essay, the experimenters find that her prior attitude has shifted towards the one advocated in the essay she just wrote. The opinions of other participants in the study who received a financial incentive ($20) for writing a counterattitudinal essay did not show similar shifts. This example best demonstrates the phenomenon called:

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Cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort that arises from holding two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values. In this case, the person was asked to write an essay advocating an opinion that was opposite to her own. This created cognitive dissonance, which she then reduced by shifting her prior attitude towards the one advocated in the essay she just wrote.

As Part of an Experiment, a Person Is Asked to Write