托福口语 Task 3

In psychology, the concept of 'cognitive dissonance' refers to the mental discomfort experienced when a person holds two conflicting beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors. When this occurs, individuals are motivated to reduce the dissonance by changing their beliefs, justifying their behavior, or adding new cognitions. This theory, proposed by Leon Festinger, suggests that humans strive for internal consistency. If consistency is disrupted, it leads to psychological tension, prompting actions to restore balance.

Professor: Let me illustrate this with a classic example. Imagine a student named Sarah who strongly believes that smoking is harmful and unhealthy. However, she finds herself in a social situation where her friends offer her a cigarette, and she accepts and smokes it. Afterward, she feels uncomfortable and uneasy. To reduce this dissonance, she might change her belief by thinking, 'Well, smoking occasionally isn't that bad for you.' Alternatively, she could justify her behavior by saying, 'I only did it to fit in with my friends, and I won't do it again.' Or she might add a new cognition, like 'My friends are more important than my health concerns.' In each case, she is altering her thoughts to reduce the tension between her belief and her action.