Iris is a vegetarian, but she ate a steak last night. When would she be most likely to try to rationalize her steak-eating?
A) If she was forced to eat the steak against her will
B) If she was paid a lot of money to eat the steak
C) If she chose to eat the steak and she feels guilty or nervous-regardless of whether she attributes these feelings to the steak-eating
D) If she chose to eat the steak and feels guilty or nervous, AND attributes these feelings to the steak-eating

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to cognitive dissonance theory, when someone behaves in a way that goes against their beliefs or values, they experience dissonance or a state of mental discomfort. In order to reduce this discomfort, they may try to rationalize or justify their behavior. In the case of Iris, if she chose to eat the steak and feels guilty or nervous, AND attributes these feelings to the steak-eating, she is most likely to try to rationalize her behavior in order to reduce her dissonance. If she was forced to eat the steak against her will or paid a lot of money to eat it, she may not experience dissonance as strongly, since her behavior was not entirely within her control or was influenced by an external factor.

Iris Is a Vegetarian, but She Ate a Steak Last