Final answer:
The statement is false; people do not intentionally behave in ways that create and increase cognitive dissonance. Instead, they are motivated to reduce the psychological discomfort caused by dissonance by changing behaviors, beliefs, or cognitions to achieve consistency.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that people are motivated to behave in ways that create and increase cognitive dissonance is false. Cognitive dissonance refers to the psychological discomfort that arises from a conflict in a person's behaviors, attitudes, or beliefs that runs counter to one's positive self-perception. According to Festinger's theory, we are motivated to reduce this dissonance because it is psychologically, physically, and mentally uncomfortable.
To reduce cognitive dissonance, individuals might change their behavior, adjust their beliefs, or add new cognitions to create consistency. For example, someone who knows smoking is bad for their health and smokes might quit smoking (behavior change) or start believing that the risks of smoking are exaggerated (belief change) to reduce dissonance.