TOEFL Speaking Task 3

Cognitive dissonance refers to the mental discomfort experienced when a person holds two or more contradictory beliefs, values, or attitudes. This discomfort often motivates individuals to reduce the inconsistency by changing their beliefs, adding new cognitions, or minimizing the importance of the conflicting elements. For example, a person who values health but smokes cigarettes may experience dissonance. To resolve it, they might quit smoking, rationalize that smoking is not that harmful, or emphasize other healthy behaviors.

Professor: Let me give you a real-life example. A student named Mark always considered himself an honest person. One day, he found a wallet on campus with $100 in it. He knew he should turn it in, but he was short on cash for textbooks. He took the money and left the wallet. Afterward, he felt really uneasy. To reduce this discomfort, he started telling himself that the owner probably had insurance or that he would have done the same for others. He even convinced himself that he needed the money more than the owner did. Over time, he also began to exaggerate how often he donated to charity, which made him feel like an honest person again. His behavior didn't change, but his thoughts adjusted to justify the theft and restore his self-image.