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Yes, cognitive dissonance theory does help explain why people change their attitudes.

Principles:

1. Dissonance results when an individual must choose between attitudes and behaviors that are contradictory.

2. Dissonance cannot just exist; something must change to remove the inconsistencies

3. Dissonance can be eliminated by reducing the importance of the conflicting beliefs, acquiring new beliefs that change the balance, or removing the conflicting attitude or behavior.

Therefore:

Because cognitive dissonance must be removed to solve an individuals conflict, they must reduce, change or remove their conflicting attitudes/behaviors. People are forced to change their attitudes/behaviors to correct the inconsistencies between their attitudes and beliefs.


Example:

Consider someone who buys an expensive car but discovers that it is not comfortable on long drives. Dissonance exists between their beliefs that they have bought a good car and that a good car should be comfortable. Dissonance could be eliminated by deciding that it does not matter since the car is mainly used for short trips (reducing the importance of the dissonant belief) or focusing on the cars strengths such as safety, appearance, handling (thereby adding more consonant beliefs). The dissonance could also be eliminated by getting rid of the car, but this behavior is a lot harder to achieve than changing beliefs.


EXAMPLE SOURCE: http://tip.psychology.org/festinge.html

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