Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive dissonance is the result of conflicting attitudes (McLeod 2008). In 1957 Leon Festinger proposed the cognitive dissonance theory. His theory stated that that we act to reduce discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts are inconsistent (Myers 2007). Festinger teamed up with Merrill Carlsmith to test this theory that changed the understanding of the way we think.