Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person holds two inconsistent beliefs. In order to reduce the dissonance, the person may unconsciously ‘forget’ the attitude that is contrary to their beliefs. In order to reduce the mental discomfort of having opposing actions and thoughts, the person may develop reasons to justify their behaviour.
For example, people know that tobacco is bad for them, yet their behaviours act contrary to their knowledge as they continue to smoke. A smoker watching an anti-smoking TV commercial may develop a belief that the research is untrue or exaggerated. This makes it very difficult to convince a smoker to quit.
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