Professor Stewart wrote a very positive letter of recommendation for a student despite having doubts about her competence.Which theory best explains why he subsequently began to develop more favorable attitudes about the student's abilities?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Professor Stewart's positive letter of recommendation may have caused a cognitive dissonance within him - the discomfort from holding two conflicting beliefs (his doubts about the student's competence and the positive things he wrote in the letter). In order to resolve this discomfort, he may have started to develop more positive attitudes about the student's abilities to align with his positive letter. This is consistent with the concept of cognitive dissonance theory.

Professor Stewart Wrote a Very Positive Letter of Recommendation for a Student