Question

Anita has been experiencing cognitive dissonance because, although she is extremely worried that smoking will eventually kill her, she continues to smoke. Each time she smokes, she tells herself that one more cigarette won't make much difference. What factor is she using to relieve her cognitive dissonance

Answer 1

Reduce the importance of the conflicting belief.

Step-by-step explanation:

Cognitive dissonance first defined by Leon Festinger in his 1957 book, titled "A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance."

It is a psychological term that describes the state of an individual having conflicting thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, often times to things relating to behavioural decisions and attitude change.

There are different factors or ways to get relieved from Cognitive dissonance, and they are:

1. Outweighing supportive beliefs over the dissonant belief or behavior.

2. Reduce the importance of the conflicting belief.

3. Change the conflicting belief so that it is consistent with other beliefs or behaviors.

Hence, in this case, Anita, by telling herself that one more cigarette won't make much difference, is reducing the importance of the conflicting belief, to relieve her cognitive dissonance.