Sue bought an expensive car.In the first 4 years she owned it,she spent as much as the price of the car on car repairs.Instead of getting rid of the car,she says she "loves the stinker for its personality." Which theorist would have an explanation for Sue's love of her car?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance suggests that people may experience discomfort or dissonance when their beliefs or attitudes conflict with their behavior. In this case, Sue may have spent a lot of money on repairs for her car, which could create cognitive dissonance between her belief that the car is valuable and her behavior of spending so much money on it. To reduce this discomfort, she may justify her behavior by claiming that she loves the car for its personality, even if it's not necessarily logical or practical to keep it.

Sue Bought an Expensive Car