Final answer:
People are motivated to minimize the inconsistency between their beliefs and actions to decrease cognitive dissonance, which is the psychological discomfort experienced when we encounter conflicting thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, especially in relation to our self-perception.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cognitive dissonance theory, introduced by Leon Festinger in 1957, explains the psychological discomfort experienced when we have conflicting thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, especially those which involve self-perception. According to this theory, when a person commits to an action like voting, making bets, or purchasing products, they are motivated to decrease cognitive dissonance. This is achieved by altering their beliefs or actions to restore harmony within themselves. This means that people will aim to minimize the inconsistency between their beliefs and actions. Hence, the correct answer to the student's question would be to minimize the consistency between their beliefs and actions, which is, in fact, an incorrect statement. The actual objective is to reduce inconsistency, bring beliefs and actions into alignment, thereby decreasing psychological discomfort.
To better understand cognitive dissonance, consider a person who purchases an expensive car, then later learns of a similar, more affordable model with better reviews. The buyer might experience post-decision dissonance or buyer's remorse. They might resolve this by justifying the decision to purchase the expensive car by focusing on its positives, such as brand reputation or imagined superior qualities, to align their actions (buying the car) with their beliefs (that they made a good choice). In extreme cases, individuals may alter their beliefs to reduce dissonance - for example, a smoker might downplay the health risks associated with smoking to reconcile their smoking behavior with their health concerns.