Cognitive dissonance refers to the mental discomfort experienced when a person holds two or more contradictory beliefs, values, or attitudes simultaneously. This discomfort often prompts individuals to reduce the inconsistency by changing their beliefs, adding new cognitions, or trivializing the conflict. Psychologists argue that the drive to resolve dissonance is a fundamental human motivation, influencing decision-making and behavior change. For example, a smoker who knows smoking is harmful faces dissonance. To reduce it, he might quit, rationalize the risk, or deny the evidence.
🎧 Bài giảng
Professor: Today we'll see cognitive dissonance in action. Consider a student, Maria, who strongly values honesty. During a final exam, she realizes she can easily peek at her neighbor's answer sheet. She feels a sharp tension between her value of honesty and her desire for a good grade. That tension is dissonance. To resolve it, Maria initially thinks, 'Well, everyone does it sometimes.' But that doesn't sit well. So she decides to change her behavior—she covers her paper and focuses on her own work. Afterward, she feels relief and even more committed to honesty. Interestingly, if she had cheated, she might have instead changed her belief to 'Cheating is acceptable when everyone does it' to reduce the discomfort.
❓ Câu hỏi Using the example from the lecture, explain the concept of cognitive dissonance.
📊 Tiêu chí chấm TOEFL Speaking Task 3
Delivery: Fluency, pronunciation, intonation
Language Use: Grammar, vocabulary, sentence variety
Topic Development: Accurately explain the reading concept and restate the lecture examples
Scored 0-30 based on holistic scoring (original 0-4, scaled to 30). 30s preparation, 60s response.
💡 Mẹo làm bài
Note the core concept definition from the reading (usually 1-2 sentences)
Record 1-2 specific examples the professor uses in the lecture
Start with the concept definition, then explain with lecture examples
Use template phrases: "The reading defines... The professor illustrates this by..."
Keep within 60s; ensure clarity and fluency
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