Final answer:
Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort that arises from holding conflicting attitudes, behaviors, or thoughts. This discomfort motivates individuals to bring their attitudes and actions into agreement. They can achieve this by changing their behavior, attitude, or cognition to reduce the dissonance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cognitive dissonance is the psychological discomfort that arises when we hold two or more inconsistent attitudes, behaviors, or thoughts. For example, if you believe smoking is bad for your health but continue to smoke, there is a conflict between your belief and behavior. This conflict motivates you to bring your attitudes and actions into agreement to reduce the discomfort. This process of reducing cognitive dissonance can be achieved by changing your behavior, attitude, or cognition to make them harmonious.