Question

Casey eats a lot of junk food. She knows the negative consequences of her diet, but rationalizes her behavior by saying the junk food helps her deal with her anxiety. Casey is using this explanation because she is uncomfortable with the inconsistency between her actions and her beliefs and wants to reduce ____________ .

Answer 1

The correct answer to this open question is the following.

Casey eats a lot of junk food. She knows the negative consequences of her diet but rationalizes her behavior by saying the junk food helps her deal with her anxiety. Casey is using this explanation because she is uncomfortable with the inconsistency between her actions and her beliefs and wants to reduce cognitive dissonance.

This term refers to a state that involves conflicting attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs. People generate a sense of mental distress leading to a change of attitudes and behaviors in order to reduce the discomfort and recover stability. That is what is happening to Casey and the contradictions in her behavior.