Larry comes to college absolutely believing that it is wrong to ever drink alcohol.After a while,he starts to drink moderately at parties.What would dissonance theory suggest that Larry will do and why?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Dissonance theory suggests that Larry will experience cognitive dissonance (i.e. mental discomfort from conflicting beliefs or values) as a result of his behavior (drinking), which does not align with his original belief that drinking is wrong. To reduce this discomfort, Larry may change his belief (e.g. decide that moderate drinking is not really a problem) or his behavior (e.g. stop drinking again), but if he continues to drink moderately, he may adjust his attitude to justify his behavior and resolve the dissonance. Thus, the most likely outcome according to dissonance theory is that Larry will decide that moderate drinking is not really a problem.

Larry Comes to College Absolutely Believing That It Is Wrong