What is cognitive dissonance?

Cognitive dissonance refers to the psychological discomfort or tension that arises when an individual holds two or more contradictory beliefs, values, or attitudes. This internal conflict can create significant mental stress, leading individuals to seek ways to reconcile the inconsistency in their thoughts or behaviors.

For example, if a person believes in maintaining a healthy lifestyle but frequently engages in unhealthy eating habits, the discrepancy between their beliefs and actions generates cognitive dissonance. To alleviate this discomfort, the individual might change their eating habits, adjust their beliefs about health, or rationalize their behavior in some manner.

In the context of the other choices, harmonious thought processes that align with actions, a sense of comfort through agreement, and a consistent perspective that avoids conflict do not effectively capture the essence of cognitive dissonance. Instead, they depict states of mental alignment or avoidance rather than the tension caused by conflicting cognitions that define cognitive dissonance.