托福口语 Task 3

In psychology, the concept of 'cognitive dissonance' refers to the mental discomfort experienced when a person holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time. To reduce this discomfort, individuals often change their attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors to achieve consistency. For instance, if a person believes smoking is harmful but continues to smoke, they may downplay the health risks to reconcile the contradiction.

Professor: Let me give you a real example. One of my students, Tom, considered himself an environmentalist. He always recycled and avoided plastic bottles. However, his dream job was at a car company that produced gas-guzzling SUVs. When he got the offer, he felt uneasy. To reduce the dissonance, he started telling himself that the company was developing hybrid models and that his work could help improve fuel efficiency. He also rationalized that most people need big cars for safety. Over time, he convinced himself that his job actually contributed to environmental progress, even though deep down he knew it contradicted his values.