AAMC FL Practice Exam

Cognitive dissonance is fundamentally about the conflict that arises between established beliefs or attitudes and new information that challenges those beliefs. This psychological phenomenon occurs when a person holds two or more contradictory beliefs, values, or attitudes, leading to a feeling of discomfort or tension.

When individuals encounter new information that contradicts their existing beliefs, they experience cognitive dissonance, which motivates them to reconcile the discrepancy. This might involve changing their beliefs, rejecting the new information, or finding justifications to maintain their current beliefs. Thus, the core of cognitive dissonance involves managing the conflict between what a person believes and the new information they are presented with.

In this context, while information retention, memory recall, and motivational reasoning may play supporting roles in how individuals process information and resolve dissonance, they are not the central cognitive process defined by cognitive dissonance. The primary focus is on the conflict generated by opposing beliefs or information.