what is an example of cognitive dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance. by Saul McLeod published 2008, updated 2014. refers to a situation involving conflicting attitudes, beliefs or behaviors. This produces a feeling of discomfort leading to an alteration in one of the attitudes, beliefs or behaviors to reduce the discomfort and restore balance etc.or example, when people smoke (behavior) and they know that smoking causes cancer (cognition). Festinger's (1957) cognitive dissonance theory suggests that we have an inner drive to hold all our attitudes and beliefs in harmony and avoid disharmony (or dissonance).