Cognitive dissonance in relation to decision making

Cognitive Dissonance about Decision-making Student’s Name Institution of Affiliation Course Instructor Name Date Abstract This paper explores the process of cognitive dissonance, specifically concerning people's car choices. This condition refers to attitudinal or behavioral inconsistency that causes psychological tension and forces an individual to regain balance. The subject of the research is how participants' preferences are affected by exposure to positive attributes of the kind of car they showed initial dislike towards (gas or electric). There are 30 subjects divided into two groups according to their prior car preference, where each group receives information regarding the benefits of the disliked car type. In questionnaires and informative flyers, the study aims to determine the level of prior and subsequent cognitive dissonance and its effects on participants' decisions. Research outcomes are expected to bring out shifts in attitudes, proving how such factors affecting consumers' decisions play the role of cognitive dissonance in trying to harmonize contrasting information. The results will help explain the consumer behavior and the psychological factors influencing the car-buying decision-making. Introduction Cognitive dissonance, postulated originally by Leon Festinger in 1957, is defined as an element of psychological discomfort arising when an individual holds contradictory beliefs or behaves in a way that is unfriendly to their personal value or attitude system. This discomfort typically drives them to convince themselves by changing beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors to minimize dissonance. Self-perception theory is most applicable when an individual is burdened with mutually exclusive information and preference towards several decisions regarded as appropriate for a particular self-schema (Gerber & Folta, 2022). This research focuses on the issue of driving and personal car choice, an aspect where consumer preferences, societal norms and cost are often in conflict. Automo...