Your friend Jamie shows you the gift she bought for her mother's birthday. It's an atrociously ugly fake marble statue of an angel, with the saccharine words "My Mother's an Angel" sloppily lettered on the bottom. Jamie asks you what you think, and because her feelings are easily hurt, to spare her, you say, "It's wonderful! Maybe I'll get one for my mom!" In this case, you __________ experience dissonance because there is sufficient __________ justification for your action.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Dissonance occurs when there is a conflict between our attitudes and behaviors. In this scenario, the individual may not experience dissonance because they do not necessarily have a strong negative attitude towards the statue, and their behavior of complimenting Jamie's gift has an external justification (not wanting to hurt Jamie's feelings). Therefore, there is no significant conflict between their attitude and behavior to cause dissonance. Choice D is the best answer as it reflects this reasoning.

Your Friend Jamie Shows You the Gift She Bought for Her