Case 1: Priya likes her friend Kavya. Kavya supports a ban on firecrackers, but Priya is against the ban, and Priya feels uneasy. Case 2: Rohan knows that junk food harms health, yet he eats it every day, and he feels uncomfortable about it. In each case, some part of the attitude changes until the person feels at ease again. Which of the following concepts covers the process in BOTH cases?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Cognitive consistency
Option (1) Cognitive dissonance — Incorrect. Cognitive dissonance, given by Leon Festinger, says two cognitions in an attitude must be consonant. It fits Rohan, who knows junk food harms him yet eats it. Priya's case is about two persons and a topic, so this covers only one case.
Option (2) Concept of balance — Incorrect. Heider's concept of balance uses the P-O-X triangle. Priya (P) likes Kavya (O), Kavya likes the ban (X), but Priya dislikes it: two positives and one negative, so imbalance. Rohan's case has no other person, so this covers only Case 1.
Option (3) Cognitive consistency — Correct. Cognitive consistency means the elements of an attitude must be in the same direction. When they are not, the person feels mental discomfort and the attitude changes towards consistency. Balance and dissonance are both examples of it, so it covers both cases.
Option (4) Two-step concept — Incorrect. S.M. Mohsin's two-step concept says the target first identifies with a liked source, then copies the source's changed behaviour. Neither Priya nor Rohan copies anyone; the change comes from inner discomfort.
NCERT (2026-27): “Process of Attitude Change … |