Theme: Psychology, Cognitive Science, Social Psychology, Behavioral Science, Decision Theory
Questions
Reading Passage (45 seconds to read):
Cognitive dissonance is a psychological theory developed by Leon Festinger in 1957. It refers to the discomfort experienced when an individual holds two or more contradictory beliefs, attitudes, or values simultaneously. This dissonance often leads to an inner tension that the individual is motivated to reduce. People typically reduce dissonance by changing one of the conflicting beliefs or behaviors, acquiring new information that outweighs the dissonant beliefs, or by downplaying the importance of the inconsistency. Cognitive dissonance is considered a key mechanism that drives attitude and behavior change.
Listening Script:
You will hear the listening passage now.
Question:
The reading passage explains the concept of cognitive dissonance, focusing on how individuals experience discomfort when holding contradictory beliefs or behaviors. The professor provides examples of how people deal with this discomfort in real-life situations. Using the information from both the reading and the listening passage, explain how cognitive dissonance influences human behavior.
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Transcripts
Listening Script:
Let’s delve deeper into how cognitive dissonance works in real life. Imagine a person who considers themselves environmentally conscious but drives a gas-guzzling car. This creates a conflict between their belief in protecting the environment and their behavior. To reduce this discomfort, the person might decide to trade in their car for a more fuel-efficient model. Alternatively, they might justify their behavior by thinking that their car is essential for their long commute, or they could downplay the significance of their environmental beliefs, telling themselves that individual actions don’t make a significant impact.
Another common example is when people make large purchases. After spending a lot of money on something, they might experience dissonance if they start to feel that it wasn’t worth it. To reduce this discomfort, they might convince themselves that the purchase was actually a smart decision by focusing on the benefits, even if they initially had doubts. Cognitive dissonance is a powerful force that often drives people to adjust their beliefs and behaviors to maintain psychological comfort.
Sample Answer:
The reading passage introduces the concept of cognitive dissonance, which occurs when a person holds conflicting beliefs or behaviors, leading to psychological discomfort. The passage explains that individuals are motivated to reduce this discomfort by changing their beliefs, behaviors, or by justifying their actions.
The professor in the listening passage provides real-life examples to illustrate how cognitive dissonance works. One example is of an environmentally conscious person who drives a gas-guzzling car. To reduce the dissonance between their belief in protecting the environment and their behavior, they might decide to buy a more fuel-efficient car, justify their need for the current car due to a long commute, or downplay the importance of their environmental beliefs. Another example is when people make expensive purchases. If they start feeling regret, they might convince themselves that the purchase was worth it by focusing on its benefits, even if they initially doubted its value.
In summary, cognitive dissonance influences human behavior by motivating individuals to align their beliefs and actions, either by changing one or by finding justifications to reduce the psychological discomfort.
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