What is dissonance definition?

Dissonance refers to a state of conflict or tension experienced by an individual when their beliefs, attitudes, values, or behaviors contradict each other. In psychology, cognitive dissonance theory proposes that individuals have an innate drive to maintain consistency between their attitudes and behavior. If there is a discrepancy between their attitudes and behavior, this inconsistency creates mental discomfort or cognitive dissonance. This discomfort motivates individuals to reduce dissonance by changing their attitudes, beliefs, or behavior to align with each other. Dissonance theory has been applied in various domains such as social psychology, marketing, decision-making, and persuasion, among others.