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

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of cognitive dissonance, where the leader's belief that the world will end is in direct conflict with the evidence that it did not happen. The leader resolved this conflict by changing their attitude and claiming that their prayers saved the world, therefore reducing the dissonance between their belief and the reality.

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