TOEFL Speaking Task 3

In psychology, the concept of 'cognitive dissonance' refers to the mental discomfort experienced by a person who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, values, or attitudes. When individuals perform an action that conflicts with their existing beliefs, they are motivated to reduce the dissonance by changing their beliefs, adding new cognitions, or trivializing the inconsistency. This theory, proposed by Leon Festinger in 1957, suggests that people strive for internal consistency to maintain a positive self-image.

Professor: Let me give you an example from a classic study. College students were asked to perform a very boring task—turning pegs on a board for an hour. Afterward, they were asked to tell the next participant that the task was actually interesting and fun. Some students were paid $1 for this lie, while others were paid $20. The students who received only $1 experienced high cognitive dissonance. They had lied for a trivial reward, which conflicted with their self-view as honest people. To reduce this discomfort, they changed their attitude and actually convinced themselves that the task had been enjoyable. In contrast, those paid $20 felt no dissonance because the large payment justified their lie, so they continued to view the task as boring.