Understanding Cognitive Dissonance
A worksheet for grade 8 social studies students to understand and identify cognitive dissonance in everyday situations.
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Understanding Cognitive Dissonance
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Read each question carefully and answer to the best of your ability. This worksheet will help you understand the concept of cognitive dissonance.
What is Cognitive Dissonance?
Cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort experienced by a person who simultaneously holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values. This discomfort is triggered by a situation in which a person's belief clashes with new evidence perceived by the person. When confronted with facts that contradict personal beliefs, feelings of discomfort arise, leading to an alteration in one of the beliefs to reduce the discomfort.
1. Cognitive dissonance is the mental experienced when holding contradictory beliefs.
2. This discomfort often leads to an in one of the beliefs to reduce the tension.
3. The feeling of unease is triggered when a person's belief clashes with new .
4. Which of the following best describes cognitive dissonance?
A feeling of joy and excitement.
Mental discomfort from conflicting thoughts.
A state of complete agreement.
Physical pain after exercise.
5. What typically happens when a person experiences cognitive dissonance?
They ignore the conflicting information.
They change one of their beliefs to resolve the conflict.
They become more rigid in their original belief.
They convince others to agree with them.
6. Describe a situation where someone might experience cognitive dissonance. What conflicting beliefs might they hold?
7. How might a person resolve the cognitive dissonance in the situation you described above?
8. Cognitive dissonance always leads to a positive outcome.
True
False
9. People typically try to avoid feelings of cognitive dissonance.
True
False