Explain cognitive dissonance and three ways it can be relieved.

Answer:

Responses may vary but should include some or all of the following information: Cognitive dissonance is a cognitive tension that exists when a person has conflicting attitudes or ideas. Those suffering from cognitive dissonance are motivated to bring their attitudes into alignment. Cognitive dissonance theory states that when a person holds simultaneously contradictory beliefs, one will suffer from an uncomfortable dissonance that one will be motivated to relieve by either changing an attitude, weakening the strength of an attitude, or by bolstering an attitude with new information and facts.