TOEFL Speaking Task 3

In psychology, the concept of 'cognitive dissonance' refers to the mental discomfort experienced when a person holds two or more contradictory beliefs, values, or attitudes, especially when their behavior conflicts with their beliefs. This discomfort often motivates individuals to reduce the inconsistency by changing their beliefs, adding new cognitions, or rationalizing their behavior. Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that people strive for internal consistency, and when inconsistency arises, they are driven to restore harmony, often through psychological adjustments that may not align with objective reality.

Professor: Let me give you a classic example. A student, Sarah, strongly believes that smoking is harmful and unhealthy—she’s even written essays about it. But one day, under peer pressure, she starts smoking occasionally. Soon, she feels uneasy every time she lights a cigarette because it clashes with her belief. To reduce this discomfort, she doesn’t quit smoking; instead, she begins to tell herself, 'Well, smoking helps me relax, and stress is also bad for my health, so it balances out.' She also starts doubting the statistics, saying, 'My grandfather smoked all his life and lived to 90.' Over time, she convinces herself that smoking isn’t as dangerous as she once thought. Notice how she changed her belief rather than her behavior to ease the mental tension.