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Representative Jansen, a U.S. congresswoman, believes in the reproductive rights and welfare of women but voted to ban late-term abortions. Jansen tells herself she can live with the conflict between her beliefs and her behavior because it's the expedient thing to do and may be better in the long run. She is most likely experiencing ________

1) Cognitive dissonance
2) Confirmation bias
3) Selective perception
4) Self-serving bias

User Gary Chang
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Final answer:

Representative Jansen is most likely experiencing cognitive dissonance, as she supports reproductive rights but voted to ban late-term abortions, causing her to face internal inconsistency between her beliefs and actions.

Step-by-step explanation:

Representative Jansen, a U.S. congresswoman, supports the reproductive rights and welfare of women but faced a challenging vote when she voted to ban late-term abortions. This internal conflict between Jansen's personal beliefs and her legislative actions is an example of cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is the psychological discomfort one experiences from holding two or more inconsistent attitudes, behaviors, or beliefs, particularly when this inconsistency runs counter to one's own self-perception of being rational and ethical.

Psychologist Leon Festinger introduced the concept, positing that individuals strive for internal consistency. When faced with facts or actions discordant with their beliefs, they often experience discomfort, prompting them to either change their actions, justify their behavior, or alter their beliefs to reduce dissonance. Representative Jansen may have voted for the ban as a strategic move, supposing it was politically expedient or would serve a greater good in the long term, despite her misgivings.

Thus, in this particular scenario, Jansen is most likely experiencing cognitive dissonance. This term fits the situation as it captures the essence of what it feels like to act in a way that's inconsistent with one's internal beliefs, and it's a common experience after making a difficult decision that goes against one's values or principles.

User Lester S
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