A student thinks that it is wrong to cheat on tests,but she copied some answers from the person sitting next to her during the chemistry exam and now feels very guilty.According to dissonance theory,how is she likely to respond?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to dissonance theory, individuals strive for consistency between their beliefs and actions. In this case, the student believes that cheating is wrong and yet she cheated on the exam. This will create cognitive dissonance, which is a state of mental discomfort. To reduce this discomfort, the student may justify her actions (e.g., "everyone else was doing it"), change her attitude (e.g., conclude that cheating is acceptable in certain situations), or change her behavior (e.g., not cheat again in the future). Option B suggests that the student may choose to modify her beliefs about the exam being too difficult as a way of justifying her cheating behavior.

A Student Thinks That It Is Wrong to Cheat on Tests,but